freedom of religion

noun phrase

: the right to choose what religion to follow and to worship without interference

Examples of freedom of religion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Phillips is the same baker who was at the focal point of a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the majority ruled that Phillips did not have to make a wedding cake for a gay couple that would have violated his freedom of speech and freedom of religion. —Elaine Mallon, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Oct. 2024

Fundamental rights include the right to life, the right to a fair trial, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and so on. —Nick Dedeke, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2024

Most urgent are crucial rights that are still missing from Israel’s Basic Laws, such as freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, and due process. —Dahlia Scheindlin, Foreign Affairs, 27 Sep. 2024

These structures could often be built on church sites because usually local zoning codes give exemptions from elements of code compliance for religious institutions, giving consideration for these interventions as an expression of freedom of religion protected by the First Amendment. —Roger Valdez, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024

Legal Definition

freedom of religion

freedom of re·​li·​gion

: the right especially as guaranteed under the free exercise clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to practice one's religion or exercise one's beliefs without intervention by the government and to be free of the exercise of authority by a church through the government see also free exercise clause

Note: The freedom of religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment can be overcome by a showing by the government of a compelling state interest. On this basis, practices used in some religions, such as bigamy, are prohibited despite the First Amendment guarantee.