religious
religious — adjective
1. Connected to the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or to the systems, writ
Connected to the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or to the systems, writings, buildings, and traditions that grow from that belief.
The museum has a large collection of religious art from medieval Europe.
attributive use: religious art / religious studies
Xiu's family follows several religious traditions during the New Year festival.
The town built a new community centre that is not connected to any religious group.
Religious ceremonies often include music, singing, and special clothing.
Many schools in the area teach both academic subjects and religious studies.
- spiritual
broader — can refer to personal experiences of the divine without formal religion
- sacred
describes things that are holy or set apart, not people or institutions
- theological
more academic — relates to the formal study of God and religious doctrines
- secular
not connected to religion or church
- non-religious
neutral term for anything unrelated to religion
文法句型
religious + noun
用法筆記
Attributive use before nouns (religious belief, religious text) is more common than predicative use.
常見錯誤
2. Having firm faith in one or more sacred beings and living by the practices of th
Having firm faith in one or more sacred beings and living by the practices of that faith.
Rafael is a deeply religious man who prays every morning before breakfast.
be + deeply religious
The religious members of the village gather at the temple each Sunday.
Maja became more religious after she moved to the mountain town.
Even in a diverse city, religious families often celebrate their own holidays together.
Sahil's grandmother is deeply religious and reads from the holy book every evening.
- irreligious
showing a lack of belief or disregard for religion
- godless
stronger, often disapproving, term for lack of belief
文法句型
be/become + religious
deeply / strongly + religious
用法筆記
Describes a person's personal devotion and religious practice, not the official doctrine of a religion.
常見錯誤
3. Extremely careful and thorough in how you do something, as if following strict r
Extremely careful and thorough in how you do something, as if following strict rules that must never be broken.
Eshe cleans the kitchen with religious care, scrubbing every corner twice.
collocation: religious care / religious precision
Matthew follows his morning routine with almost religious attention to detail.
The librarian keeps the books in religious order, exactly by number and letter.
Amelia checks her homework with religious thoroughness before handing it in.
The chef's religious precision with ingredients makes every dish taste the same.
- scrupulous
direct synonym — equally formal, emphasizes moral attention to detail
- conscientious
neutral and common — describes a careful, responsible person
- meticulous
describes extreme attention to small details
文法句型
religious + about + noun/gerund
religious + noun (figurative use)
用法筆記
This is a figurative extension of the literal meaning — it describes the quality of being thorough and attentive, not actual religious faith. Common in adverb form 'religiously' (e.g., 'She exercises religiously').
常見錯誤
religious — noun
1. A person, such as a monk or a nun, who has made formal promises to live a life o
A person, such as a monk or a nun, who has made formal promises to live a life of poverty, not marrying, and obeying the rules of a religious community.
The religious at the monastery spend their days in prayer and quiet work.
collective: the religious (group of monks/nuns)
A religious who takes a vow of poverty owns no personal belongings at all.
Sirin met two religious travelling from Tibet to share their teachings.
The order welcomes any person who wishes to live as a religious in the community.
Asher spent ten years as a religious before leaving the monastery to teach.
文法句型
a + religious
the + religious (collective)
number + religious (plural unchanged)
用法筆記
Countable noun where the singular and plural forms are the same ('one religious', 'two religious'). 'The religious' can also function as a collective noun referring to all members of religious orders.