theology

noun

the·​ol·​o·​gy thē-ˈä-lə-jē How to pronounce theology (audio)
plural theologies
1
: the study of religious faith, practice, and experience
especially : the study of God and of God's relation to the world
2
a
: a theological theory or system
Thomist theology
a theology of atonement
b
: a distinctive body of theological opinion
Catholic theology
3
: a usually 4-year course of specialized religious training in a Roman Catholic major seminary

Examples of theology in a Sentence

He has an interest in theology and pastoral work. The bishop was opposed to the group's theology.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The deity is also linked to earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms, and death and was widely regarded as the most powerful force of evil in Egyptian theology. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Adrian started out as a theology student, but the stakes of Mann’s novel are not, at heart, theological—Adrian has a maddening case of syphilis, and that is the secular portal through which Mephistopheles makes his entry. James Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 Du Châtelet was searching for a grand synthesis of Newtonian, Cartesian, and Leibnizian ideas, in the way that Viennese visionaries of the nineteen-twenties hoped to unify all the sciences, and in the way that later thinkers tried to reconcile quantum physics with Einstein—and both with theology. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 For example, Jack Lillie, a musician, deferred to his ambitious wife, R. S., a gifted medium who traveled the American west lecturing about Spiritualist theology. Marissa C. Rhodes / Made By History, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for theology 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English theologie, from Anglo-French, from Latin theologia, from Greek, from the- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of theology was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near theology

Cite this Entry

“Theology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theology. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

theology

noun
the·​ol·​o·​gy thē-ˈäl-ə-jē How to pronounce theology (audio)
plural theologies
1
: the study of religion
2
: a set of religious beliefs
theologian
ˌthē-ə-ˈlō-jən
noun
theological
-ˈläj-i-kəl
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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