Topic: RELIGION
Explore RELIGION Topic
acolyte
afterlife
agnostic
angel
animism
anoint
apostasy
apostate
archangel
believe
believer
bell-ringer
bless
blessed
blessing
celebrant
Christian Science
circumcise
circumcision
communion
confession
convent
conversion
convert
coreligionist
cowl
credo
creed
cult
daemon
Decalogue
defrock
deism
denomination
denominational
devotee
devotion
devotional
devout
divine
divinity
druid
faith
fast day
feast
fervour
fiesta
follow
frankincense
gentile
god
goddess
grace
habit
hair shirt
hallelujah
hallowed
halo
heathen(a)
heathen(n)
heaven
heavenly
hell
heresy
heretic
hermit
hermitage
heterodox
high priest
idol
idolatry
incarnation
incense
infidel
intercession
invocation
invoke
irreligious
-ism
layman
laywoman
libation
liturgical
liturgy
martyr(n)
martyr(v)
meditate
meditation
mission
monastery
monastic
monk
monotheism
Moonie
Mormon
Mosaic
mystery play
mystic
mystical
mysticism
neophyte
novice
novitiate
numinous
nun
nunnery
oblation
observance
offering
Olympian
ordain
order
orthodox
otherworldly
pagan(a)
pagan(n)
pantheism
pantheon
Parsee
pilgrim
pilgrimage
pious
pluralism
polytheism
practise
pray
prayer
prayer wheel
preach
preacher
priest
priestess
priesthood
priestly
prophet
prophetess
purify
Rasta
Rastafarian
Rastaman
RE
recant
reincarnation
religion
religious
religiously
reliquary
repent
retreat
revelation
revivalism
rite
ritual
sacred
sacrifice(n)
sacrifice(v)
sacrificial
sanctify
sanctity
sanctuary
sanctum
satanism
scripture
sect
sectarian
service
shaman
Shinto
shrine
sin(n)
sin(v)
sinful
sinner
soul
spirit
spiritual
spiritualism
spirituality
Sr
sun god
suppliant
supplicant
supplication
Supreme Being
Tao
Taoism
temple
tenet
thanksgiving
theism
theo-
theocracy
theologian
theological college
theology
tonsure
transcendental
transcendental meditation
transmigration
unbelief
unbeliever
ungodly
unholy
unorthodox
visionary
voodoo
votary
worship(v)
worship(n)
| Date: | 1100-1200 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Origin: | religio, probably from religare; RELY |
| |||||||||
re‧li‧gion S2 W2

1 [uncountable] a belief in one or more gods :
The U.S. Constitution promises freedom of religion.
a course on philosophy and religion
The U.S. Constitution promises freedom of religion.
a course on philosophy and religion2 [countable] a particular system of this belief and all the ceremonies and duties that are related to it :
the Islamic religion
the Islamic religion3 to suddenly become interested in religion in a way that seems strange to other people :
Miller found religion in prison.
find/get religion
Miller found religion in prison.4 used when saying that something is very important to someone and they are extremely interested in it and spend a lot of time doing it, watching it etc :
Football was a religion in my family.
something is (like) a religion
Football was a religion in my family.WORD FOCUS: religion 
faith one of the world's main religions, for example Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, or Christianity
church a Christian religious group, for example the Catholic Church
sect a religious group that is part of a larger religious group but has slightly different beliefs, for example a Buddhist sect
cult an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion
faith community a group of people living in the same area, who have a particular religion
secular not relating to religion or any religious groupreligion ➔ religious, devout, orthodox, holy, sacred, atheist, agnostic

faith one of the world's main religions, for example Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, or Christianity
church a Christian religious group, for example the Catholic Church
sect a religious group that is part of a larger religious group but has slightly different beliefs, for example a Buddhist sect
cult an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion
faith community a group of people living in the same area, who have a particular religion
secular not relating to religion or any religious groupreligion ➔ religious, devout, orthodox, holy, sacred, atheist, agnostic