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Religion

Wikipedia

[ English

[ Etymology

From Latin religiō, meaning "moral obligation" and "worship" < possibly religō "tie back, fasten up" < prefix re- (back) + ligō (to tie).

[ Pronunciation

• IPA: /rɪˈlɪʤən/, SAMPA: /rI'lIdZ@n/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[ Noun

religion (plural religions)

1. A system of beliefs, including belief in the existence of at least one of the following: a human soul or spirit, a deity or higher being, or self after the death of one’s body.
   • He couldn’t abide by any religion that didn’t allow for wrongdoers to be punished after death.
2. A number of customs and rituals associated with such beliefs.
   • When it comes to religion, she doesn’t believe, but she loves to attend the ceremonies.
3. Anything that involves the association of people in a manner resembling a religious institution or cult.
   • At this point, Star Trek has really become a religion.
4. Any system or institution which one engages with in order to foster a sense of meaning or relevance in relation to something greater than oneself.

[ Usage notes

Generally speaking, certain systems of belief that do not involve the existence of one or more deities, such as Buddhism, can be considered a religion, though some people prefer a stricter definition that excludes the possibility of a non-theistic religion. Others are in favor of a very general definition of religion: that any belief, such as atheism, or system of beliefs, such as science, is a kind of religion or part of a religion. In language, such uses are generally considered humorous (highly dependent on context.)

[ Synonyms

[ Derived terms

[ Translations

[ See also

[ French

[ Hyphenation

[ Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}
• IPA: /rəliʒjɔ~/
• SAMPA: /r@liZjO~/

[ Noun

[ Synonyms

• foi
• culte
• dévotion

[ See also

• religieux
• religieuse
• religiosité

[ Papiamentu

[ Noun

1. religion