1
as in spiritual
of, relating to, or used in the practice or worship services of a religion
Johann Sebastian Bach wrote some of the most beautiful religious music in the world
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pious
showing a devotion to God and to a life of virtue
a deeply religious woman who eventually decided to quit her job and to become a nun
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3
as in passionate
having or expressing great depth of feeling
a woman known for embracing various causes with a religious enthusiasm
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as in nun
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of religious
Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
The seeds were roasted and ground, then made into porridge or cakes, and also used for cosmetics and religious ceremonies.
—Annie Peterson, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2025
Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for religious 
Adjective
Advertisement The Lake Avenue facility housed the largest collection of materials related to Theosophy, a modern religious movement that counted writers such as William Butler Yeats as devotees and was influential among later New Age belief systems.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
The seeds were roasted and ground, then made into porridge or cakes, and also used for cosmetics and religious ceremonies.
—Annie Peterson, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
As a young religious, Bishop-elect Lombardo did missionary work in Bolivia and Honduras.
—Laura Rodríguez Presa, chicagotribune.com, 11 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for religious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for religious
Adjective
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And at the same time, Georgescu praises the spiritual qualities of water.Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
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For the last decade, researchers have been visiting the atoll to study sharks, which not only help maintain the balance of marine ecosystems globally but are also important spiritual symbols in Polynesian culture.Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The pious townspeople eat food for sustenance, not enjoyment, and for over a decade Babette dutifully prepares a rather drab-looking bread soup for the sisters, per their instructions.Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
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And yet something about her pious active listening face really gets to Urs.Caroline Framke, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Montessori was passionate about education from a young age.Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2025
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Her passionate speech about the dangers of undervaluing yourself gives her a huge leg up in the Oscar race for Best Actress.Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Another nun, Sister Alessandra Smerilli, is the No. 2 in the Vatican development office while several women have been appointed to under-secretary positions, including French nun Nathalie Becquart, in the synod of bishops’ office.Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2025
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In 2018, on her 110th birthday, Lucas, who is also the oldest living nun in the world, was honored with an apostolic blessing from Pope Francis, per Guinness World Records.Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Now, entering the start of a new Trump administration, our political and economic realities have changed, and so has New York’s sacred task.John Raskin, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2025
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Like the kamikaze pilots in the same story, whose deaths lost their sacred meaning once Emperor Hirohito renounced his divinity after the war, the plotters in 1936 worshipped not a man but a deity.Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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At least six people were killed and 35 injured in a stampede near one of India’s busiest and richest temples, after thousands of devout Hindus assembled there to secure free visit passes, authorities said Thursday.Reuters, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
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Tillman, as the devout middle manager Mr. Milchick, delivers an impeccable performance defined by nuanced moments of silent decision-making.Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Entering the retail space as novices forced these bottle shop owners to face a steep learning curve.Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 14 Jan. 2025
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Only novices believe that a system will work flawlessly.Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Advent is the start of the Christian church's liturgical year.Joyce Orlando, The Tennessean, 29 Nov. 2024
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Davis’s boss at the Beinecke introduced her to a 12th-century liturgical manuscript known as the Gottschalk Antiphonary, and Davis wrote her dissertation on it.Ariel Sabar, The Atlantic, 8 Aug. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near religious
Cite this Entry
“Religious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/religious. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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