Longman Dictionary English

Explore Religion Topic Show all entries from Topic: Religion
Word family noun religion religiosity adjective religious ≠ irreligious adverb religiously
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Related topics: Religion, Religion & thought
religionre‧li‧gion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 [uncountable]RR a belief in one or more gods The U.S. Constitution promises freedom of religion. a course on philosophy and religion2 [countable]RR a particular system of this belief and all the ceremonies and duties that are related to it people of different religions the Islamic religion The tribe practised a religion that mixed native beliefs and Christianity.3 → find/get religion4 → something is (like) a religionTHESAURUSreligion [countable, uncountable] a set of beliefs about a god, and the ceremonies and customs that go with these beliefs. Also used when talking about all religions in generalJudaism is one of the great religions of the world.African tribal religionsa lecture on the role of religion in societyfaith [countable, uncountable] a religion, especially one of the large important world religions. Also used when talking about religious belief in generalThe school welcomes children of all faiths.His religious faith was always deeply important to him.belief [countable, uncountable] the act of believing in a god or gods, or the ideas that someone believes because of their religionWe all have the right to freedom of belief.They were persecuted because of their religious beliefs.denomination [countable] a religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups who belong to the same religionThe church is the largest Christian denomination in the United States.sect [countable] a group of people who have their own set of religious beliefs and customs, especially a group that has separated from a larger groupHe became a member of a Buddhist sect.There are two sects in Islam - the Sunni and the Shi'a.an obscure religious sectthe church [singular, uncountable] the Christian religion in generalHow great is the influence of the church in present-day society?The church has a lot to say about this.the Catholic/Protestant etc church (also Church) [countable] one of the separate groups within the Christian religionthe Methodist Churchcult [countable] an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion – often used to show disapprovalThe suicides have been linked to a strange religious cult.the traditional pagan cults of Ancient Romecreed [countable, uncountable] formal the religion that you belong to, and the set of beliefs that you accept in order to belong to it – often used in phrases when saying that your religion should not affect how you are treatedThere must be no discrimination because of race, colour, or creed.You will be rewarded whatever your race or creed. faith community [countable] formal a group of people who share the same religious beliefs – used especially in official contextsthe benefits of living within a supportive faith community
Examples from the Corpus
religion• Scientology has fought long battles for legal acceptance as a religion and has succeeded in many countries, including the United States.• Exercise is almost like a religion to Mina.• people of all religions• We respect all religions here.• Culture and religion also serve to integrate the immigrant community and to insulate it from wider society.• The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and religion.• My beliefs about abortion are not influenced by religion.• the Catholic religion• She can't eat pork. It's against her religion.• the Muslim religion• The average viewer should, of course, by now be immune to the trivialisation of religion.• It would be wrong to conclude from this that Gandhi is opposed to conversion from one religion to another.• My parents' religion is very important to them.• We spent hours discussing politics, religion, and poetry.• The Cathedral of the Assumption on Red Square had been demolished along with other redundant relics of reactionary religion.• The Buddhist and Shinto religions coexist in Japan.of different religions• Thus detailed comparative analysis of different religions is possible.• For years the headscarf was frowned upon and sometimes banned on the ground that it encouraged dissent among children of different religions.• I like studding religions all kinds of different religions.• By affirming these non-contradictory emphases, members of different religions can move closer together without fearing loss of integrity.• But since all faiths are imperfect, the question of the comparative merit of different religions does not arise.Origin religion (1100-1200) Latin religio, probably from religare; → RELY
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