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
Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Unlike right-wing populism, Christian democracy coheres with at least some of the traditional or religious values Ahmari championed earlier in his career while also maintaining a strong commitment to democratic institutions.
—Sheri Berman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The former Cheers star was the second son born to Diane Harrelson (née Oswald), a devoutly religious legal secretary, and Charles Harrelson, a professional hitman who died while serving a life sentence for killing a federal judge.
—Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Speaking last week during a fireside chat at the Berkeley Haas School of Business, Collison said the remote versus in-person debate had turned overly religious and was really more dependent on the context of each company.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 Apr. 2024
Around 100 kids from low-income homes in Garfield come to the religious organization each week.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024
But in recent months, the board had been fielding complaints from residents who said Baxter, a devout Christian, was injecting her religious beliefs into the library’s operations.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
The movement to create Pakistan succeeded, but in India, leaders instead established a secular democracy that sought to embrace religious pluralism, and Hindutva politicians were pushed to the fringes.
—Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
The letters often come in white envelopes attached to religious pamphlets.
—Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
Adjective
Celebrating Life: Finding Happiness in Unexpected Places by Jonathan Sacks
Britain’s long-serving Chief Rabbi, Sacks was an esteemed commentator and religious leader.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Unlike right-wing populism, Christian democracy coheres with at least some of the traditional or religious values Ahmari championed earlier in his career while also maintaining a strong commitment to democratic institutions.
—Sheri Berman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
The former Cheers star was the second son born to Diane Harrelson (née Oswald), a devoutly religious legal secretary, and Charles Harrelson, a professional hitman who died while serving a life sentence for killing a federal judge.
—Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Speaking last week during a fireside chat at the Berkeley Haas School of Business, Collison said the remote versus in-person debate had turned overly religious and was really more dependent on the context of each company.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 23 Apr. 2024
Around 100 kids from low-income homes in Garfield come to the religious organization each week.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024
But in recent months, the board had been fielding complaints from residents who said Baxter, a devout Christian, was injecting her religious beliefs into the library’s operations.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
The movement to create Pakistan succeeded, but in India, leaders instead established a secular democracy that sought to embrace religious pluralism, and Hindutva politicians were pushed to the fringes.
—Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Apr. 2024
The letters often come in white envelopes attached to religious pamphlets.
—Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 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 27 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
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