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of persons; a gathering; esp. an assembly of persons met for the worship of God, and for religious instruction; a body of people who habitually so meet. He [Bunyan] rode every year to London, and preached there to large and attentive congregations. Macaulay.

ity. [Obs.] Chaucer. Conscience clause, a clause in a general law exempting persons whose religious scruples forbid compliance therewith, -- as from taking judicial oaths, rendering military service, etc. -- Conscience money, stolen or wrongfully acquired money that is voluntarily restored to the rightful possessor. S…

A religious or either sex devoted to prayer and meditation, rather than to active works of charity.

An association or community of recluses devoted to a religious life; a body of monks or nuns. One of our convent, and his [the duke's] confessor. Shak.

An assembly for religious worship; esp., such an assembly held privately, as in times of persecution, by Nonconformists or Dissenters in England, or by Covenanters in Scotland; -- often used opprobriously, as if those assembled were heretics or schismatics. The first Christians could never have had recourse to nocturna…

Based upon tradition, whether religious and historical or of artistic rules.

To represent according to an established principle, whether religious or traditional, or based upon certain artistic rules of supposed importance.

inion or practice to another; a person who is won over to, or heartily embraces, a creed, religious system, or party, in which he has not previously believed; especially, one who turns from the controlling power of sin to that of holiness, or from unbelief to Christianity. The Jesuits did not persuade the converts to l…

France, early in the eighteenth century, who went into convulsions under the influence of religious emotion; as, the Convulsionists of St. Médard.

An allowance of meat, drink, or clothing due from an abbey or other religious house for the sustenance of such of the king's servants as he may designate to receive it. [Written also corrody.]

Marked with the sign of the cross; crouched. Crutched friar (Eccl.), one of a religious order, so called because its members bore the sign of the cross on their staves and habits; -- called also crossed friar and crouched friar.

A system of religious belief and worship. That which was the religion of Moses is the ceremonial or cult of the religion of Christ. Coleridge.

Established or accepted religious rites or usages of worship; state of religious development. Cf.Cult, 2.

A state of ignorance or error, especially on moral or religious subjects; hence, wickedness; impurity. Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John. iii. 19. Pursue these sons of darkness: drive them out From all heaven's bounds. Milton.

Wanting in religious spirit and vitality; as, dead faith; dead works. "Dead in trespasses." Eph. ii. 1.

te formally and solemnly; as, to dedicate vessels, treasures, a temple, or a church, to a religious use. Vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, . . . which also king David did dedicate unto the Lord. 2 Sam. viii. 10, 11. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave…

he act of setting apart or consecrating to a divine Being, or to a sacred use, often with religious solemnities; solemn appropriation; as, the dedication of Solomon's temple.

of moral character; general badness of character; wickedness of mind or heart; absence of religious feeling and principle. Total depravity. See Original sin, and Calvinism.

The renunciation of religious or monastic vows. [Obs.] Blount.

To make irreligious; to turn from religion. [R.] He would dereligionize men beyond all others. De Quincey.