noun

• 1The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

  ‘ideas about the relationship between science and religion’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The freedom to manifest religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching encompasses a broad range of acts.’
  • ‘The secularization debate is primarily concerned with the role or power of religion and churches in society.’
  • ‘Bonaparte, however, had never made the mistake of underestimating either the power of religion or the resilience of the Church.’
  • ‘Since when has religion and one's personal spiritual belief become the focal point of a candidacy?’
  • ‘I feel that religion or religious beliefs should not be used as an argument against the rights given to private people.’
  • ‘Instead of rewriting history and using religion as a power tool, he would rather that politicians embrace technology.’
  • ‘Later chapters return to the relationship among religion, politics and power.’
  • ‘Have westernised intellectuals underestimated the power of religion?’
  • ‘While it's true that religion is a deeply personal issue, entertainment is not.’
  • ‘On her death bed, his mother confided that she finally understood the power of religion in his life.’
  • ‘On the other, they say religion has little power to bring peace and harmony to the world.’
  • ‘If people believe in religion it means they don't believe in science.’
  • ‘We had been schooled to dismiss them as being objects of religion, ritual and superstition.’
  • ‘I am a person for whom religion has never been important in my life, and I am really scared of the power of religion now.’
  • ‘It is best known, of course, for its extreme views on religion and morality and personal conduct.’
  • ‘He understood the ideological power of religion as well as its miraculous strength.’
  • ‘He finds no use for organized religion in the life and conduct of intelligent men.’
  • ‘Organised religion is based on far more abstract concepts.’
  • ‘Many people today are saying how organised religion does nothing for society, and it helps no one.’
  • ‘But, as Karl Marx put it, religion is also the opiate of the people.’

  Synonyms

  faith, belief, divinity, worship, creed, teaching, doctrine, theology

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1count noun A particular system of faith and worship.
     ‘the world's great religions’
     More example sentences

     • ‘No organized religion preaches murder and hatred of innocent people.’
     • ‘The official state religion is Roman Catholicism, but Evangelical Protestant movements are making converts among traditional Catholic believers.’
     • ‘Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.’
     • ‘Wicca is a nature religion based upon beliefs and rites believed to be rooted in ancient practices.’
     • ‘Buddhism is the majority religion there, and a particularly militant strain predominates.’
     • ‘Notice that they converted to Lutheranism, although Catholicism was the majority religion in Vienna and in Austria.’
     • ‘Church and state are separate today, but Catholicism is the religion of the great majority.’
     • ‘Christianity is a liberating religion, and forgiveness of sins is a liberating experience.’
     • ‘Hinduism is a complex religion, and there are many paths in it.’
     • ‘Yet Wicca is a religion, you can't invent it as you go along.’
     • ‘After having done the study I came to realize that Buddhism is a family religion.’
     • ‘The roots of Japanese mythology are in the Shinto religion, in Taoism and in Zen Buddhism alike.’
     • ‘And we did not practice Buddhist or Shinto religions.’
     • ‘Is the problem that Judaism is a religion as well as an ethnicity?’
     • ‘Many refused full equality to adherents of minority religions until well into the century.’
     • ‘Those who believe in pluralism think that every religion has spiritual power.’
     • ‘Regardless of your religion or personal beliefs, I will always stand against censorship.’
     • ‘Secularism does not reject religion but attempts to bar any single religion from gaining political control.’
     • ‘Yet the power of our civic religion lies not in any sanctions it imposes but in the moral sensibility it nurtures.’
     • ‘They don't see the truth because they come here to impose their religion's power.’
     Synonyms

     faith, religion, religious belief, religious beliefs, religious persuasion, religious conviction, religious group, faith community, church

     View synonyms
  2. 1.2count noun A pursuit or interest followed with great devotion.
     ‘consumerism is the new religion’
     More example sentences

     • ‘It's the backdrop because football is considered a religion worldwide and the most viewed game.’
     • ‘We've been told time and again that cricket is a religion in India.’
     • ‘In this city where rugby is a religion, there is the feeling that Moses has led them to the mountaintop.’
     • ‘This brings up another point: hockey in the BCHL ceases to be a religion and becomes secondary to education.’
     • ‘The consequent pursuit of thinness had become a new religion, she said, and she showed a range of advertisements to support her claims.’
     • ‘The pursuit of eating raw food has become a religion of the nuttier kind.’
     • ‘Online marketers realize that return on investment is the religion they need to follow.’
     • ‘It serves only one master - corporate greed - that is their religion and their power.’