religion

English Online Dictionary. What means religion‎? What does religion mean?

English

Alternative forms

• Religion

Etymology

From Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religiō (“scrupulousness, pious misgivings, superstition, conscientiousness, sanctity, an object of veneration, cult-observance, reverence”). Most likely from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- with the meanings preserved in Latin dīligere and legere (“to read repeatedly”, “to have something solely in mind”). Displaced Old English ǣfæstnes (“religion, lawfulness”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈlɪd͡ʒən/
• Rhymes: -ɪdʒən

Noun

religion (countable and uncountable, plural religions)

1. (uncountable) Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.

   Synonyms: theism; faith; belief

   Antonyms: nonreligion, nonreligiousness; nonbelief, unbelief; irreligion, irreligiousness; atheism; antitheism, antireligion, antireligiousness

   Hypernym: belief system

   Hyponyms: deism, pandeism, pantheism, omnitheism; see kinds of religion

   Holonyms: cosmology, ontology, epistemology, philosophy

   Coordinate terms: agnosticism; transtheism; apatheism; ignosticism, igtheism; empiricism, science
2. (countable) A particular system of such belief, and the rituals and practices proper to it.

   Synonym: faith

   Hypernym: belief system

   Holonyms: cosmology, ontology, epistemology, philosophy

   Near-synonyms: credo, creed
3. (uncountable) The way of life committed to by monks and nuns.

4. (uncountable, informal) Rituals and actions associated with religious beliefs, but considered apart from them.

   Synonym: (pejorative) superstition

5. (countable) Any practice to which someone or some group is seriously devoted.
6. (uncountable, obsolete) Faithfulness to a given principle; conscientiousness. [16th–17th c.]

Usage notes

• Some prefer a definition of religion that includes only theistic groups, viewing non-theistic religions as merely philosophical systems.
• Some use the word as a catch-all term for all systems of belief pertaining to morality, life after death (or lack thereof), the existence of a greater power, etc. Thus, nominally "non-religious" belief systems such as atheism, agnosticism, or spiritualism are sometimes included within the concept of "religion" despite not meeting the criteria for a religion in the traditional sense. This usage is opposed by some atheists who claim it is inaccurate to describe their beliefs as "religious beliefs."

Hyponyms

• See also Thesaurus:religion

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

religion (third-person singular simple present religions, present participle religioning, simple past and past participle religioned)

1. Engage in religious practice.
2. Indoctrinate into a specific religion.
   • 1890, John R. Kelso, Deity analyzed: In six lectures - Page 37

     To men whose minds are thus religioned, tied back to gods that never advance, there can never be any such word as progress
3. To make sacred or symbolic; sanctify.
   • 2011, Andrew O'Shea, Pedagogy, Oppression and Transformation in a 'Post-Critical' Climate, p 116

     The ideas expressed above challenge us to continuously rupture and interrupt racialized, classed, gendered, religioned and sexualized norms that inhere between and within institutions, understandings of bodies and our Selves.

See also

• Appendix:Religions

References

• “religion”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• religion in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• “religion”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “religion”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• ligroine, reoiling

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʁɛliɡˈjoˀn]

Noun

religion c (singular definite religionen, plural indefinite religioner)

1. religion

Declension

Further reading

• “religion” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “religion” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /reliˈɡion/
• Rhymes: -ion
• Hyphenation: re‧li‧gi‧on

Noun

religion

1. accusative singular of religio

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French religion, from Old French religion, borrowed from Latin religiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁə.li.ʒjɔ̃/
• Hyphenation: re‧li‧gion

Noun

religion f (plural religions)

1. religion

   Synonyms: foi, culte, dévotion

Derived terms

See also

• religieux
• religieuse
• religiosité

Further reading

• “religion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Interlingua

Noun

religion (plural religiones)

1. religion (system of belief, customs, etc.)

Ladin

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin religio, religionem.

Noun

religion m (plural [please provide])

1. religion

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French religion.

Noun

religion f (plural religions)

1. religion

Descendants

• French: religion

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

religion m (definite singular religionen, indefinite plural religioner, definite plural religionene)

1. religion

Synonyms

• tro

Derived terms

• religionsfrihet
• statsreligion

Related terms

• religiøs

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

religion m (definite singular religionen, indefinite plural religionar, definite plural religionane)

1. religion

Derived terms

• statsreligion

Old French

Alternative forms

• religioun

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin religiō.

Noun

religion oblique singular, f (oblique plural religions, nominative singular religion, nominative plural religions)

1. religion

Related terms

• religieus

Descendants

• Middle French: religion
  • French: religion
• Norman: r'ligion
• → Middle Dutch: religie
  • Dutch: religie
    • → Indonesian: religi
• → Middle English: religioun
  • English: religion
  • Scots: releegion
• → Irish: reiligiún

Papiamentu

Noun

religion

1. religion

Piedmontese

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /reliˈd͡ʒuŋ/

Noun

religion f

1. religion

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɛlɪˈjuːn/

Noun

religion c

1. religion

Declension

Related terms

• religionsfrihet
• religionskunskap
• religionslärare
• religionsvetare
• religiös

See also

• ateism
• gud
• konventikel
• kyrklig
• monoteism
• relegera
• teologi
• tro

References

• religion in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• religion in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• religion in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)