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"
"a member of his own faith contradicted him"
Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.
"After years of scientific study, she finally embraced religion, joining her community for weekly prayers and observing traditional holidays."
In plain English: Religion is a system of beliefs and practices that people follow to connect with something greater than themselves.
"Many people find comfort in their religion during difficult times."
Engage in religious practice.
"She decided to return home early so she could attend prayer and observe her daily religious duties."
Usage: Religion functions as both a noun and an adjective, but it has no standard verb form; instead, use the phrase to be religious or engage in religion to describe practicing faith. Avoid treating it as an action word like "to pray" since you cannot directly say someone is "religions."
The word religion entered English from Old French and originally referred to scrupulousness or conscientious observance of sacred duties. It likely stems from a root meaning "to read repeatedly" or "to have something solely in mind," replacing the earlier Old English term for religious lawfulness.