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unreligious

unreligious

1 6.0
Not believing in a god or taking part in worship
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnrɪˈlɪdʒəs/
translation icon : irreligioso
  • A completely unreligious Ten Commandments.

Examples

  • In a predominantly unreligious society, cultural beliefs often take precedence over spiritual doctrines.

  • The Constitution allows a nation with a religious character or an unreligious one.

    Blog text (16)
  • I think the Constitution permits both a religious nation and an unreligious one, a conclusion my erstwhile blogbrother comes to in his excellent.

    Blog text (9)
  • Dr. Peggy Shriver, an Assistant General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., drew attention to a growing restlessness among young church members and the spread of spiritual hunger; she also observed that being "unchurched" in America does not necessarily mean being unreligious or irreligious.

    Academic text (2014)
  • It's her tactic to believe women are what's moral: the unreligious part: a measure (they're soft flesh—solace and amusement; they make up for God's being what He is).

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Many people consider themselves unreligious because they do not follow any formal religious practices.

  • His unreligious upbringing led him to question traditional beliefs during his adult life.

Synonyms

godless
vsunreligious
35 7.0

Not believing in God or following any religion

is a neutral lack of belief or practice without naming deity stance
irreligious
vsunreligious
3 8.6

Not interested in religion or being against it

simply lacks belief or practice without hostile attitude
unbelieving
vsunreligious
1 6.8

Not accepting the idea of God or other religious ideas

is neutral absence of belief or practice rather than active rejection
nonspiritual
vsunreligious
1 5.6

About everyday life or material things, not about religion

focuses on not having or showing beliefs or practices instead of secular nature
unspiritual
vsunreligious
1 7.4

Not interested in religious or moral ideas and focused on practical things

refers specifically to not having or showing beliefs or practices
religionless
vsunreligious
7.5

Not belonging to or following any religion

is the general absence of showing beliefs or practices
nonbelieving
vsunreligious
5.2

Not believing in religious ideas or practices

is broader, meaning lack of belief or practice overall
atheistical
vsunreligious
9.9

Not believing in God or gods

is a general lack of belief or practice rather than a declared philosophy

Antonyms

2.7

Believing in gods or spiritual ideas

How Religious

devout
55 5.7
religious
2.7
unreligious
1 6.0
nonreligious
3 4.1
atheistic
12 6.7

Surface Forms

unreligious positive

Morphology

unreligious = religious (transparent) = un + religious

The productive negating prefix 'un-' is directly applied to the adjective 'religious', so the meaning is predictable.

Etymology

The word unreligious starts with un- meaning 'not' and comes from religious and religion, a word that originally meant 'to bind' people to beliefs or practices, so a helpful image is someone who is 'not bound' by religion. That's why unreligious describes a person or community that does 'not' have or show religious beliefs.