pseudoreligious

1 9.4

Like a religion but only for show

adjective
/ˌsuːdroʊrɪˈdʒuːs/

: pseudoreligioso

Rather, these slogans, products of a twisted, pathological mentality, were given a kind of pseudoreligious veneer by Hitler and have led to the continuing demonization of the Germanic gods ("these myths are the source of the evil").

Examples

The charity's activities often seem to have a pseudoreligious aspect, drawing people in with emotional appeals rather than genuine faith.
Many political movements adopt pseudoreligious rhetoric to invoke deep emotional connections with their followers.
The group hosted a meeting that felt almost pseudoreligious, filled with chants and rituals but lacking true spiritual guidance.

Synonyms

quasi-religious

vspseudoreligious

2 8.3

Showing very strong belief and feeling like worship

is only an appearance rather than genuinely religious

pharisaical

vspseudoreligious

Offensive

1 9.9

Pretending to be morally better than other people

is about mere appearance rather than hypocritical piety

How Religious

devout

53 5.7

religious

∞ 2.7

pseudoreligious

1 9.4

secular

165 4.7

Surface Forms

pseudoreligious positive

Morphology

pseudoreligious = religious (transparent) = pseudo + religion + ous

The meaning is directly compositional: 'pseudo-' signals false or seeming, and 'religious' supplies the religious base.

Etymology

Pseudoreligious puts together pseudo- meaning 'false' or 'not real' and religious. So, it describes something that looks like a religion but is not truly religious.