re‧li‧gion S2 W2 / rɪlɪdʒ ə n / 名词

1 [不可数名词] a belief in one or more gods :

The U.S. Constitution promises freedom of religion.

a course on philosophy and religion

2 [可数名词] a particular system of this belief and all the ceremonies and duties that are related to it :

people of different religions

the Islamic religion

The tribe practised a religion that mixed native beliefs and Christianity.

3 find/get religion to suddenly become interested in religion in a way that seems strange to other people :

Miller found religion in prison.

4 something is (like) a religion used when saying that something is very important to someone and they are extremely interested in it and spend a lot of time doing it, watching it etc :

Football was a religion in my family.

THESAURUS

religion [可数和不可数名词] a set of beliefs about a god, and the ceremonies and customs that go with these beliefs. Also used when talking about all religions in general : Judaism is one of the great religions of the world. | African tribal religions | a lecture on the role of religion in society

faith [可数和不可数名词] a religion, especially one of the large important world religions. Also used when talking about religious belief in general : The school welcomes children of all faiths. | His religious faith was always deeply important to him.

belief [可数和不可数名词] the act of believing in a god or gods, or the ideas that someone believes because of their religion : We all have the right to freedom of belief. | They were persecuted because of their religious beliefs.

denomination [可数名词] a religious group that has slightly different beliefs from other groups who belong to the same religion : The church is the largest Christian denomination in the United States.

sect [可数名词] a group of people who have their own set of religious beliefs and customs, especially a group that has separated from a larger group : He became a member of a Buddhist sect. | There are two sects in Islam - the Sunni and the Shi’a. | an obscure religious sect

the church [单数形式，不可数] the Christian religion in general : How great is the influence of the church in present-day society? | The church has a lot to say about this.

the Catholic/Protestant etc church ( also Church ) [可数名词] one of the separate groups within the Christian religion : the Methodist Church

cult [可数名词] an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion – often used to show disapproval : The suicides have been linked to a strange religious cult. | the traditional pagan cults of Ancient Rome

creed [可数和不可数名词] formal the religion that you belong to, and the set of beliefs that you accept in order to belong to it – often used in 短语 when saying that your religion should not affect how you are treated : There must be no discrimination because of race, colour, or creed. | You will be rewarded whatever your race or creed.

faith community [可数名词] formal a group of people who share the same religious beliefs – used especially in official contexts : the benefits of living within a supportive faith community