# religion

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹɪˈlɪd͡ʒ.ən/ · frequency rank #1,877

## Definitions
1. Belief in a spiritual or metaphysical reality (often including at least one deity), accompanied by practices or rituals pertaining to the belief.
2. A particular system of such belief, and the rituals and practices proper to it.
3. The way of life committed to by monks and nuns.
4. Rituals and actions associated with religious beliefs, but considered apart from them.
5. Any practice to which someone or some group is seriously devoted.
6. Faithfulness to a given principle; conscientiousness.

## Etymology
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **revision** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/religion-vs-revision)
- **religious** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/religion-vs-religious)
- **religions** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/religion-vs-religions)
- **region** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/region-vs-religion)
- **relation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relation-vs-religion)

## Common misspellings (11)
`erligion`, `reilgion`, `relgiion`, `religgion`, `religino`, `religionn`, `religoin`, `reliigon`, `relligion`, `rleigion`, `rreligion`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/religion