RELIGION
religion, faith, religious belief
(noun) a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; “he lost his faith but not his morality”
religion, faith, organized religion
(noun) an institution to express belief in a divine power; “he was raised in the Baptist religion”; “a member of his own faith contradicted him”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
religion (countable and uncountable, plural religions)
(uncountable) Belief in a spiritual reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.
Synonym: faith
(countable) A particular system of such belief, and the rituals and practices proper to it.
Synonym: faith
Hypernym: belief system
(uncountable) The way of life committed to by monks and nuns.
(uncountable, informal) Rituals and actions associated with religious beliefs, but considered apart from them.
Synonym: superstition (pejorative)
(countable) Any practice to which someone or some group is seriously devoted.
(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.
Hyponyms
• See also religion
• Abrahamic religion
• African religion
• false religion
• folk religion
• Indic religion
• Native American religion
• natural religion
• organized religion
• paganism
• pseudoreligion
• revealed religion
• sect
Verb
religion (third-person singular simple present religions, present participle religioning, simple past and past participle religioned)
Engage in religious practice.
Indoctrinate into a specific religion.
To make sacred or symbolic; sanctify.
Anagrams
• ligroine, reoiling
Source: Wiktionary
Re*li"gion (r-lj"n), n. Etym: [F., from L. religio; cf. religens
pious, revering the gods, Gr. 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 sdivine 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. Köstlin (Schaff-
Herzog Encyc. )
After the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisce.
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 pleasant and useful companion in
every proper place, and every temperate occupation of life.
Buckminster.
3. (R.C.CH.)
Definition: 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 sanciti,
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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition