re·li·gious
ri-ˈli-jəs 
1
: relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity
a religious person
religious attitudes
2
: of, relating to, or devoted to religious beliefs or observances
joined a religious order
religiously
adverb
religiousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of religious in a Sentence
Adjective
My religious beliefs forbid the drinking of alcohol.
Religious leaders called for an end to the violence.
His wife is very active in the church, but he's not religious himself.
Recent Examples on the Web
Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The origins of Mother's Day also derive from the religious roots of Mothering Sunday.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The issue of religious persecution has emerged as an objection to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plans for military funding for Ukraine.
—Nina Shea, National Review, 11 Apr. 2024
The more religious conservatives fought against Darwin, the more TV stations gave airtime to scientists who offered answers for the fundamental questions of human existence.
—Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024
Resting inside a glass case is a tallit – a thin religious cloth traditionally worn by Jews in prayer and during burial.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
In 2017, the Pew Research Center estimated there were 3.45 million Muslims living in the US — and projected that by 2040, Muslims would replace Jews as the country’s second-largest religious group after Christians.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
In 1968, during the Soviet Union’s repressive rule against religious groups, her grandfather, a Baptist pastor, was jailed for five years and then sent into exile in eastern Siberia.
—Constant Méheut Oksana Parafeniuk, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Beyond religious rituals, commercial celebrations of Easter have popularized the holiday's symbols of the eggs, chicks and, of course, the Easter Bunny.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
Adjective
The letters often come in white envelopes attached to religious pamphlets.
—Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The origins of Mother's Day also derive from the religious roots of Mothering Sunday.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The issue of religious persecution has emerged as an objection to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plans for military funding for Ukraine.
—Nina Shea, National Review, 11 Apr. 2024
The more religious conservatives fought against Darwin, the more TV stations gave airtime to scientists who offered answers for the fundamental questions of human existence.
—Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024
Resting inside a glass case is a tallit – a thin religious cloth traditionally worn by Jews in prayer and during burial.
—Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2024
In 2017, the Pew Research Center estimated there were 3.45 million Muslims living in the US — and projected that by 2040, Muslims would replace Jews as the country’s second-largest religious group after Christians.
—Leah Dolan, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
In 1968, during the Soviet Union’s repressive rule against religious groups, her grandfather, a Baptist pastor, was jailed for five years and then sent into exile in eastern Siberia.
—Constant Méheut Oksana Parafeniuk, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Beyond religious rituals, commercial celebrations of Easter have popularized the holiday's symbols of the eggs, chicks and, of course, the Easter Bunny.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
Noun
As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'religious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near religious
Cite this Entry
“Religious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
religious
1 of 2 adjective
re·li·gious
ri-ˈlij-əs
1
: devoted to God or to the powers or forces believed to govern life
a very religious person
2
: of or relating to religion
religious beliefs
3
: very devoted and faithful
performed his duties with religious regularity
religiously
adverb
religiousness
noun
religious
2 of 2 noun
plural religious
: a member of a religious order
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share