Synonyms and antonyms of Beliefs and teachings common to more than one religion in British Thesaurus

absolution (noun)

the act of forgiving someone for something wrong they have done, especially for a religious fault

angel (noun)

a spirit that in some religions is believed to live in heaven with God. In pictures, angels are shown as people with wings.

angelic (adjective)

relating to angels

archangel (noun)

an important angel (=a spirit that lives in heaven) in the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religions

article of faith (noun)

something that people who support a particular religion or idea believe completely, although it has not been proved

blaspheme (verb)

to say offensive things about God or someone’s religious beliefs

blasphemous (adjective)

offensive to God or someone’s religious beliefs

blasphemy (noun)

something that is considered offensive to God or someone’s religious beliefs

bless (verb)

if God blesses someone or something, he helps and protects them

blessing (noun)

protection and help offered by God

chastity (noun)

a way of life that does not include any sexual activity, especially for religious reasons

cleanse (verb)

literary if God cleanses you of a sin, your sin is forgiven

conversion (noun)

a change in someone’s beliefs, especially their religious beliefs

creed (noun)

formal a set of religious beliefs

creed (noun)

formal a set of beliefs about how people should live or behave

cult (noun)

formal a religious system in which people worship a particular god, person, or object

damnation (noun)

the act of sending someone to hell after they have died, because of the bad things that they have done, or the state of being in hell, according to some religions

the damned (adjective)

people who have been sent to hell after they have died, because of the bad things that they have done, according to some religions

devotions (noun)

strong religious feeling

divinity (noun)

old-fashioned the study of religions and religious belief

ecstasy (noun)

mainly literary an extreme emotional religious state during which you do not realize what is happening around you

faith (noun)

belief in a god or gods

faith (noun)

a religion

fanaticism (noun)

very strong religious or political beliefs that make someone behave in an unreasonable way

fundamentalism (noun)

the belief that the original laws of a religion should be followed very strictly and not be changed

God-given (adjective)

given by God to someone

grace (noun)

according to religious belief, the love and kindness that God gives to people

grace (noun)

according to religious belief, the condition of people when they are loved and forgiven by God

heresy (noun)

an action or belief that opposes the official principles of a religion and is considered wrong

holy war (noun)

a war that people with a particular religion believe that God wants them to fight

incarnation (noun)

in some religions, one in a series of lives that a person may have

judgment day (noun)

in some religions, a day in the future when it is believed that people will be punished or rewarded by God for the things that they have done during their life

Kabbalah (noun)

a religious system based on the ideas of Judaism that explains holy writings through mysticism

the Last Judgment ()

according to Christian, Jewish, and Muslim beliefs, the time at the end of the world when God judges everyone for what they did while they were alive

Mammon (noun)

literary money considered as a god or as the most important thing to have or to get

miracle (noun)

an event that cannot be explained according to the laws of nature and is considered to be an act of God

mission (noun)

the activity of people who are sent to a place by a religious organization to teach people there about a particular religion

monotheism (noun)

belief in only one God

multi-faith (adjective)

involving several different religions

mysteries (noun)

something relating to religion or God that you cannot explain using reason or science but that you believe is true

mystical (adjective)

relating to or involving mysterious religious or spiritual powers

mystical (adjective)

relating to mystics or mysticism

mysticism (noun)

the belief that you can understand God directly by praying and meditating, or the practice of doing this

orthodoxy (noun)

the traditional beliefs and practices of a religion or political system

pantheism (noun)

belief in all the gods of all religions

pantheism (noun)

the existence of several gods in some religions

penance (noun)

punishment or suffering that you accept, especially because of your religious beliefs, to show that you are sorry for something bad that you have done

perdition (noun)

literary according to some religions, the state of being punished after you die for the bad things that you have done

persuasion (noun)

formal a set of political or religious beliefs

piety (noun)

strong religious belief and behaviour

polytheism (noun)

the belief that there is more than one god

predestination (noun)

the belief that people have no control over events because God or another force has arranged everything that is going to happen

predestination (noun)

the belief that God decided at the beginning of time who would go to heaven and who would not

the Prophet (noun)

according to some religions, a man sent by God to lead people and teach them their religious beliefs

prophetess (noun)

a woman who is a prophet

prophetic (adjective)

relating to or like a prophet

rebirth (noun)

the belief, according to some religions, that a person’s spirit is born again into another body after death

reincarnation (noun)

the belief that after you die you can be born again as a different person, animal, or thing

religion (noun)

the belief in the existence of a god or gods

religion (noun)

a system of beliefs in a god or gods that has its own ceremonies and traditions

religiosity (noun)

formal extreme interest and belief in religion

religious (adjective)

relating to religion, or to the beliefs and practices of a particular religion

repent (verb)

formal to recognize that you have done something wrong and to feel ashamed and sorry about it, especially when you have done something against the rules of your religion

repentance (noun)

the act of showing that you feel ashamed and sorry because you recognize that you have done something wrong, especially against the rules of your religion

repentant (adjective)

ashamed and sorry because you have done something against the rules of your religion, and are willing to change your habits

revelation (noun)

a message that is believed to have come from God

sacred (adjective)

connected with religion

scholastic (adjective)

formal connected with scholasticism

scholasticism (noun)

a method of learning that attempts to connect religion and thought and is based on ancient writings

sectarian (adjective)

caused by disagreements among people from different religious groups

sectarian (adjective)

involving or intended to help only one religious group

seraph (noun)

an angel of the highest rank

sin (noun)

an action, thought, or way of behaving that is wrong according to religious laws

sin (verb)

to do something that is wrong according to religious rules

soul (noun)

the spiritual part of a person that most religions believe continues to exist after their body dies

speak in tongues ()

to speak in strange languages that no one understands as a result of extreme religious excitement

spirit (noun)

the part of a person that many people believe continues to exist after death

spirituality (noun)

religious beliefs

syncretic (adjective)

combining different and often contradictory beliefs in philosophy or religion

taboo (adjective)

something that is taboo is not allowed by a particular religion or culture

taboo (noun)

something that is not allowed by a particular religion

taboo (noun)

the system in some religions in which certain actions must not be done and certain objects must not be touched because they have great spiritual importance

teaching (noun)

the ideas or principles of a religious, political, or moral system of a particular person or group

theism (noun)

belief in a god or in gods

theological (adjective)

relating to the study of God and religion

theology (noun)

a set of religious beliefs

transmigration (noun)

a process that some religions believe happens after someone dies, in which the spirit of that person moves into the body of another person or animal

unclean (adjective)

unclean food or drink cannot be eaten or drunk by people belonging to a particular religion

vision (noun)

a person or image that appears to someone, for example in a dream or a religious experience

visionary (adjective)

relating to a religious vision

visitation (noun)

an occasion when people think they have seen a spirit or have received a punishment from God

vocation (noun)

a strong feeling that you should be doing a particular thing with your life, especially because you believe that God wants you to do it