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Added 8 October 2026

religion

/ɹɪˈlɪd͡ʒ.ən/ noun

In Latin: religiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about religion at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny.
he lost his faith but not his morality
An institution to express belief in a divine power.
he was raised in the Baptist religion

Origin

From Middle English religioun, from Old French religion, from Latin religiō (“scrupulousness, pious misgivings, superstition, conscientiousness, sanctity, an object of veneration, cult-observance, reverence”). Most likely from the Proto-Indo-European *h₂leg- with the meanings preserved in Latin dīligere and legere (“to read repeatedly”, “to have something solely in mind”). Displaced Old English ǣfæstnes (“religion, lawfulness”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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