anti-religious

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Opposed to religion: "anti-religious" describes a stance, attitude, or action that is against religion or religious beliefs, practices, or institutions.
   • Hostile to religious expression: It can also refer to policies, ideologies, or behaviors that actively oppose the influence or practice of religion in society.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The regime adopted an anti-religious policy, banning all public worship. (The government actively opposed religious activities.)
  • His anti-religious comments offended many people in the community. (His statements were hostile toward religion.)
  • Some critics argue that the book has an anti-religious bias. (The book shows prejudice against religion.)

Advanced Usage

• "anti-religious sentiment": a general feeling of opposition or hostility toward religion.

  • The rise of anti-religious sentiment in the region led to the closure of several churches. (Public feeling turned against religious institutions.)

• "anti-religious propaganda": materials or messages spread to promote opposition to religion.

  • The state distributed anti-religious propaganda to discourage religious observance. (Official materials aimed to undermine religious practices.)

Variants and Related Words

• Anti-religion (n): the state or ideology of being opposed to religion.

  • His anti-religion became more pronounced after his studies. (His opposition to religion grew stronger.)

• Anti-religiousness (n): the quality of being opposed to religion.

  • The anti-religiousness of the movement was evident in its public statements. (The movement's opposition to religion was clear.)

Synonyms

• Irreligious: lacking religious belief or practice; indifferent or hostile to religion.

  • His irreligious attitude meant he never attended services. (He had no interest in religion.)

• Secularist: relating to the belief that religion should not be involved in public affairs, often implying opposition to religious influence.

  • The secularist group campaigned for anti-religious laws. (The group wanted to separate religion from government.)

• Atheistic: relating to the belief that there is no God, often used to describe opposition to religion.

  • The atheistic philosophy had anti-religious undertones. (It denied the existence of God and opposed religious ideas.)

Related Idioms

• No specific idioms: "anti-religious" is a formal, descriptive term and does not commonly appear in idiomatic expressions. However, it may be used in phrases like:
  • "an anti-religious crusade": a strong, organized campaign against religion.

    • The leader launched an anti-religious crusade to eliminate all religious symbols. (He started a determined effort to oppose religion.)