Adjacent Words

Religion definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RELIGION, n. relij'on. [L. religio, from religo, to bind anew; re and ligo, to bind. This word seems originally to have signified an oath or vow to the gods, or the obligation of such an oath or vow, which was held very sacred by the Romans.]
1. Religion, in its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the being and perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man, in man's obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties. It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical piety; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine lawgiver, and without reference to his will or commands, is not religion.
2. Religion, as distinct from theology, is godliness or real piety in practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to God and our fellow men, in obedience to divine command, or from love to God and his law. James 1.
3. Religion, as distinct from virtue, or morality, consists in the performance of the duties we owe directly to God, from a principle of obedience to his will. Hence we often speak of religion and virtue, as different branches of one system, or the duties of the first and second tables of the law.
Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.
4. Any system of faith and worship. In this sense, religion comprehends the belief and worship of pagans and Mohammedans, as well as of christians; any religion consisting in the belief of a superior power or powers governing the world, and in the worship of such power or powers. Thus we speak of the religion of the Turks, of the Hindoos, of the Indians, etc. as well as of the christian religion. We speak of false religion, as well as of true religion.
5. The rites of religion; in the plural.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality" [syn: religion, faith, religious belief]
2: an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him" [syn: religion, faith, organized religion]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English religioun, from Anglo-French religiun, Latin religion-, religio supernatural constraint, sanction, religious practice, perhaps from religare to restrain, tie back — more at rely Date: 13th century 1. a. the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b. (1) the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance 2. a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices 3. archaic scrupulous conformity ; conscientiousness 4. a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith • religionless adjective

Britannica Concise

Relation of human beings to God or the gods or to whatever they consider sacred or, in some cases, merely supernatural. Archaeological evidence suggests that religious beliefs have existed since the first human communities. They are generally shared by a community, and they express the communal culture and values through myth, doctrine, and ritual. Worship is probably the most basic element of religion, but moral conduct, right belief, and participation in religious institutions also constitute elements of the religious life. Religions attempt to answer basic questions intrinsic to the human condition (Why do we suffer? Why is there evil in the world? What happens to us when we die?) through the relationship to the sacred or supernatural or (e.g., in the case of Buddhism) through perception of the true nature of reality. Broadly speaking, some religions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) are outwardly focused, and others (e.g., Jainism, Buddhism) are inwardly focused.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the belief in a superhuman controlling power, esp. in a personal God or gods entitled to obedience and worship. 2 the expression of this in worship. 3 a particular system of faith and worship. 4 life under monastic vows (the way of religion). 5 a thing that one is devoted to (football is their religion). Phrases and idioms: freedom of religion the right to follow whatever religion one chooses. Derivatives: religionless adj. Etymology: ME f. AF religiun, OF religion f. L religio -onis obligation, bond, reverence

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ghost dance Ghost dance A religious dance of the North American Indians, participated in by both sexes, and looked upon as a rite of invocation the purpose of which is, through trance and vision, to bring the dancer into communion with the unseen world and the spirits of departed friends. The dance is the chief rite of the Ghost-dance, or Messiah, religion, which originated about 1890 in the doctrines of the Piute Wovoka, the Indian Messiah, who taught that the time was drawing near when the whole Indian race, the dead with the living, should be reunited to live a life of millennial happiness upon a regenerated earth. The religion inculcates peace, righteousness, and work, and holds that in good time, without warlike intervention, the oppressive white rule will be removed by the higher powers. The religion spread through a majority of the western tribes of the United States, only in the case of the Sioux, owing to local causes, leading to an outbreak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Religion Re*li"gion (r[-e]*l[i^]j"[u^]n), n. [F., from L. religio; cf. religens pious, revering the gods, Gr. 'ale`gein to heed, have a care. Cf. Neglect.] 1. The outward act or form by which men indicate their recognition of the existence of a god or of gods having power over their destiny, to whom obedience, service, and honor are due; the feeling or expression of human love, fear, or awe of some superhuman and overruling power, whether by profession of belief, by observance of rites and ceremonies, or by the conduct of life; a system of faith and worship; a manifestation of piety; as, ethical religions; monotheistic religions; natural religion; revealed religion; the religion of the Jews; the religion of idol worshipers. An orderly life so far as others are able to observe us is now and then produced by prudential motives or by dint of habit; but without seriousness there can be no religious principle at the bottom, no course of conduct from religious motives; in a word, there can be no religion. --Paley. Religion [was] not, as too often now, used as equivalent for godliness; but . . . it expressed the outer form and embodiment which the inward spirit of a true or a false devotion assumed. --Trench. Religions, by which are meant the modes of divine worship proper to different tribes, nations, or communities, and based on the belief held in common by the members of them severally. . . . There is no living religion without something like a doctrine. On the other hand, a doctrine, however elaborate, does not constitute a religion. --C. P. Tiele (Encyc. Brit.). Religion . . . means the conscious relation between man and God, and the expression of that relation in human conduct. --J. K["o]stlin (Schaff-Herzog Encyc.) After the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. --Acts xxvi. 5. The image of a brute, adorned With gay religions full of pomp and gold. --Milton. 2. Specifically, conformity in faith and life to the precepts inculcated in the Bible, respecting the conduct of life and duty toward God and man; the Christian faith and practice. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. --Washington. Religion will attend you . . . as a pleasant and useful companion in every proper place, and every temperate occupation of life. --Buckminster. 3. (R. C. Ch.) A monastic or religious order subject to a regulated mode of life; the religious state; as, to enter religion. --Trench. A good man was there of religion. --Chaucer. 4. Strictness of fidelity in conforming to any practice, as if it were an enjoined rule of conduct. [R.] Those parts of pleading which in ancient times might perhaps be material, but at this time are become only mere styles and forms, are still continued with much religion. --Sir M. Hale. Note: Religion, as distinguished from theology, is subjective, designating the feelings and acts of men which relate to God; while theology is objective, and denotes those ideas which man entertains respecting the God whom he worships, especially his systematized views of God. As distinguished from morality, religion denotes the influences and motives to human duty which are found in the character and will of God, while morality describes the duties to man, to which true religion always influences. As distinguished from piety, religion is a high sense of moral obligation and spirit of reverence or worship which affect the heart of man with respect to the Deity, while piety, which first expressed the feelings of a child toward a parent, is used for that filial sentiment of veneration and love which we owe to the Father of all. As distinguished from sanctity, religion is the means by which sanctity is achieved, sanctity denoting primarily that purity of heart and life which results from habitual communion with God, and a sense of his continual presence. Natural religion, a religion based upon the evidences of a God and his qualities, which is supplied by natural phenomena. See Natural theology, under Natural. Religion of humanity, a name sometimes given to a religion founded upon positivism as a philosophical basis. Revealed religion, that which is based upon direct communication of God's will to mankind; especially, the Christian religion, based on the revelations recorded in the Old and New Testaments.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(religions) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple. ...his understanding of Indian philosophy and religion... N-UNCOUNT 2. A religion is a particular system of belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this system. ...the Christian religion. N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

re-lij'-un: "Religion" and "religious" in Elizabethan English were used frequently to denote the outward expression of worship. This is the force of threskeia, translated "religion" in Ac 26:5; Jas 1:26,27 (with adjective threskos, "religious"), while the same noun in Col 2:18 is rendered "worshipping" ("cult" would give the exact meaning). And in the same external sense "religion" is used by the King James Version for latreia, "worship" (so the Revised Version (British and American)), in I Macc 1:43; 2:19,22. Otherwise "Jews' religion" (or "religion of the Jews") appears in 2 Macc 8:1; 14:38 (the Revised Version (British and American) bis); Ga 1:13,14 (Ioudaismos, "Judaism"); and "an alien religion" in 2 Macc 6:24 (allophulismos, "that belonging to another tribe"). The neglect of the external force of "religion" has led to much reckless misquoting of Jas 1:26,27. Compare Ac 17:22.

See SUPERSTITION.

Burton Scott Easton

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Science of duty (to God and our fellows), science of obligation (as creatures of God), that which binds us to the practice of righteousness. 2. Sentiment of faith, reverence, and love towards God; godliness, devoutness, devotion, holiness, sanctity, piety, virtue, goodness, practical piety. 3. System of faith, system of worship.

Foolish Dictionary

A cloak used by some persons in this world who will be warm enough without one in the next. R. E. MORSE A veteran General who commands the largest army in the world.

Moby Thesaurus

Babi, Babism, Bahaism, Brahmanism, Brahmoism, Buddhism, Buddhology, Chen Yen Buddhism, Christianity, Mariolatry, Mariology, Mercersburg theology, Weltanschauung, adoration, anthroposophy, apologetics, articles of religion, belief, canonics, catechism, church, churchgoing, communion, conformity, connection, credenda, credo, creed, crisis theology, cult, cultism, denomination, devotedness, devotion, devoutness, dialogical theology, divinity, doctrinal statement, doctrinalism, doctrine, doctrinism, dogma, dogmatics, dutifulness, eschatology, existential theology, faith, faithfulness, formulated belief, gospel, hagiography, hagiology, hierology, ideology, ism, logos Christology, logos theology, love of God, natural theology, neoorthodox theology, neoorthodoxy, observance, patristic theology, persuasion, phenomenological theology, physicotheology, pietism, piety, piousness, political faith, political philosophy, rationalism, religionism, religiousness, reverence, scholastic theology, school, sect, secularism, soteriology, system of belief, systematics, theism, theology, veneration, world view, worship, worshipfulness