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religious movement

religious movement

3 3.5
A group of people who try to change beliefs and practices about faith
  • noun
  • /rɪˈlɪdʒəs ˈmuːvmənt/
translation icon : movimiento religioso
  • The religious movement aimed to reform traditional beliefs and attract a younger audience.
  • radical religious movement
  • new religious movement
  • popular religious movement

Why did we have so many different kinds of religious movements that fled Europe looking to create a utopia here in the Americas?

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Examples

  • States, communities, tribes, and national and religious movements learn to coexist with one another while redefining their operational goals and codes.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Scholars who study the sixteenth-century religious movement known as the Family of Love were once united by a single methodological problem.

    Academic text (2018)
  • There were many in the 19th century who attempted to start a religious movement but failed.

    Blog text (13)
  • And that probably explains why these people are attracted to new religious movements.

    Blog text (32)
  • Several Huguenots opted out of the congregation and formed a popular religious movement.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Doubtless, Methodism is the greatest religious movement of the last two hundred years.

    Blog text (12)
  • Unofficially, though, another religious movement was taking place within Hungarian society but outside the authority of the institution itself.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Even these more subtle descriptions, however, paint an ominous picture for the future of minority religious movements.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Why did we have so many different kinds of religious movements that fled Europe looking to create a utopia here in the Americas?

  • The Orthodox Church continued to devote considerable efforts to "anti-sectarian" activity, which focused on new religious movements.

    Academic text (2007)

Synonyms

religious right
vsreligious movement
  • Literature
14 6.1

A political group in the United States that wants laws to follow conservative religious beliefs

aims to change beliefs or practices within faith rather than pursue political policy
reform movement
vsreligious movement
10 3.9

A group of people working together to make social or political change

focuses on changing beliefs or practices within faith rather than general social reform
youth movement
vsreligious movement
4 4.4

A group of young people who work together for social or political change

targets changes to beliefs or practices generally rather than being age specific
fundamentalist group
vsreligious movement
3 6.5

A group of people who follow strict religious rules and reject modern ideas

seeks reforms to beliefs or practices rather than preserving tradition
youth crusade
vsreligious movement
1 7.2

A campaign in which young people try to change politics, religion, or society

focuses on changing beliefs or practices across communities, not on a single age group
ecumenical movement
vsreligious movement
1 7.0

A movement that tries to bring Christian churches together in unity

works to change beliefs or practices rather than to unite different institutions
chiliast movement
vsreligious movement
  • Specialized
9.9

A religious group that believes a thousand-year time of peace will begin soon because of a prediction

seeks to change beliefs or practices now rather than expect a future era
devotionalism
vsreligious movement
8.4

A strong personal focus on religious worship and prayer

organizes efforts to alter communal beliefs or practices rather than private worship

How Widespread

religious movement
3 3.5
movement
3.6
social group
12 2.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

religious + movement

The meaning 'a group or organized effort related to religion' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'religious' (relating to religion) with 'movement' (a collective pursuing shared goals). This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase pattern found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Religious movement gives the image of people with the same religious ideas joining a movement and moving together to change beliefs or practices. So it means 'a group seeking reforms or big changes in religion'.