irreligious

adjective

ir·​re·​li·​gious ˌir-i-ˈli-jəs 

1

: neglectful of religion : lacking religious emotions, doctrines, or practices

so irreligious that they exploit popular religion for professional purposes

—G. B. Shaw

2

: indicating lack of religion

irreligiously adverb

Synonyms

• godless
• nonreligious
• religionless

Examples of irreligious in a Sentence

raised in an irreligious family where the subject of God was never even discussed

Recent Examples on the Web

Finishing off the top 5 is religious flick The Forge with an irreligious weekend take-home of $6.6. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2024

From its earliest days in the nineteenth century and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist movement, which at the time was led by irreligious Jews. —Elliott Abrams, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2011

Ephraim — ambitious, socialist and irreligious — takes his family to Riga, Latvia, to Palestine and finally to France. —Lauren Elkin, Washington Post, 16 May 2023

There may even be some juice left in secularization in Northern Europe as the older generations which fill the pews die off to be replaced by the cresting wave of irreligious born since 1960. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2010

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

irreligious

adjective

ir·​re·​li·​gious ˌir-i-ˈlij-əs 

: lacking religious emotions, principles, or practices

irreligiously adverb