# Religion & Belief

**Type:** Topic
**Words:** 413

## About

Faith, ritual, worship, myth, and spiritual life.

## Words by Level

### A2
- god — A supernatural being with great powers that people worship.; frequency rank 143
- Christmas — the Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on 25 December; frequency rank 781
- church — A building where Christians meet to worship.; frequency rank 943
- Christ — the title of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah in Christian belief; frequency rank 1088
- grace — Smooth, elegant, and beautiful movement.; frequency rank 1352
- angel — A spiritual being believed to serve God, often shown with wings.; frequency rank 1456
- bible — the sacred scriptures of Christianity, comprising the Old and New Testaments; frequency rank 3029
- Easter — the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed on a Sunday in spring; frequency rank 6370
- mosque — A building where Muslims gather to pray and worship.; frequency rank 8697
- pilgrim — A person who travels to a holy place for religious reasons.; frequency rank 13347

### B1
- soul — The spiritual part of a person, often believed to live on after death.; frequency rank 922
- holy — Connected with God or religion and treated with deep respect.; frequency rank 1021
- bless — To ask God to protect or help someone or something.; frequency rank 1944
- priest — A person trained to lead religious services and ceremonies in a church.; frequency rank 1960
- Christian — A person who believes in and follows Christianity.; frequency rank 2212
- glory — Great honour and admiration earned by an achievement.; frequency rank 2604
- religion — Belief in a god or gods, together with the practices and worship connected to that belief.; frequency rank 3052
- sacred — Connected with religion and treated with great respect.; frequency rank 3072
- religious — Believing in and worshipping a god or gods.; frequency rank 3152
- prayer — Words spoken to a god to give thanks or ask for help.; frequency rank 3265
- bishop — A senior Christian priest who is in charge of the churches in a large area.; frequency rank 3300
- divine — Coming from or relating to a god.; frequency rank 3754
- goddess — A female god worshipped in a religion.; frequency rank 3954
- blessing — Something good that you are grateful for.; frequency rank 4079
- spiritual — Relating to the human spirit or soul rather than physical things.; frequency rank 4512
- belief — A feeling that something is true or real.; frequency rank 4791
- myth — A widely held but false belief or idea.; frequency rank 5007
- eternity — Time that has no end; endless time.; frequency rank 5115
- devotion — Great love, loyalty, or commitment to someone or something.; frequency rank 8400
- mermaid — a mythical sea creature with the head and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish; frequency rank 8832
- elf — a supernatural being from Germanic folklore, later often imagined as graceful, magical, and humanlike; frequency rank 9352
- gospel — the Christian message about Jesus Christ and salvation; frequency rank 10026
- priestess — a woman who performs priestly rites or holds the office of priest in a religion; frequency rank 17640
- piety — Deep respect for God and a strong commitment to religion.; frequency rank 24903
- priestly — relating to priests, the priesthood, or their religious duties; frequency rank 37121
- spiritualism — the belief and practice centered on communicating with the spirits of dead people, often through a medium; frequency rank 49879
- unbelief — absence or rejection of belief, especially religious faith; frequency rank 94434

### B2
- faith — Strong belief or trust in someone or something.; frequency rank 1366
- temple — A building used for worship in some religions.; frequency rank 2052
- confess — To admit that you have done something wrong.; frequency rank 2834
- Jew — a member of the Jewish people, an ethnoreligious group with origins in the ancient Israelites; frequency rank 4707
- ritual — A set of actions always performed in the same way, especially in a religious ceremony.; frequency rank 4968
- worship — To show love and respect for a god, especially through prayer or religious ceremonies.; frequency rank 5002
- pastor — A leader of a Christian church who guides and cares for its members.; frequency rank 5952
- hallelujah — used to praise or thank God, especially in worship or song; frequency rank 6043
- immortal — Able to live forever; never dying.; frequency rank 6325
- adore — To love someone very deeply.; frequency rank 6536
- altar — A table or raised structure used for religious ceremonies.; frequency rank 6671
- monastery — A building where monks live together and follow a religious life.; frequency rank 8299
- ark — the great vessel that Noah built to preserve his family and animals from the biblical flood; frequency rank 8320
- cathedral — A large and important Christian church, especially the main one in a region run by a bishop.; frequency rank 8807
- hindu — a person who follows Hinduism; frequency rank 11232
- providence — the protective guidance, care, or ordering of events attributed to God or another divine power; frequency rank 11863
- relic — An old object or custom that has survived from the past.; frequency rank 12172
- biblical — relating to, contained in, or characteristic of the Bible; frequency rank 12326
- icon — A small picture on a screen that you click to open a program or file.; frequency rank 12768
- conversion — The act of changing something from one form, system, or use into another.; frequency rank 14364
- righteousness — The quality of being morally good and doing what is right.; frequency rank 14690
- persuasion — The act of getting someone to do or believe something by giving reasons.; frequency rank 16081
- scripture — the sacred writings of a religion, considered collectively, or a particular sacred text; frequency rank 16308
- self-confidence — belief and trust in your own abilities; frequency rank 21103
- spirituality — the quality of being concerned with the human spirit, soul, or sacred experience rather than only with material things; frequency rank 24109
- priory — a monastery or convent governed by a prior or prioress, or the buildings occupied by that community; frequency rank 26808
- psalm — a sacred song or poem used in Jewish or Christian worship; frequency rank 29705
- godly — Deeply religious and living according to the rules of one's faith.; frequency rank 29735
- redeemer — a person who saves another person, group, or cause from suffering, danger, failure, or disgrace; frequency rank 30106
- pastoral — Showing or describing peaceful, idealized country life.; frequency rank 31284
- Quaker — a member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement historically associated with pacifism, equality, and direct spiritual experience; frequency rank 31712
- Methodist — a member or adherent of Methodism, a Protestant Christian movement that grew from the eighteenth-century revival associated with John Wesley; frequency rank 32115
- wafer — a thin disk of unleavened bread used in the Eucharist or Communion; frequency rank 35319

### C1
- sacrifice — The act of giving up something valuable for the sake of something more important.; frequency rank 2422
- saint — A dead person officially recognised by a church as especially holy.; frequency rank 2677
- offering — Something that is offered or made available, such as a product or service.; frequency rank 2940
- kirk — a Scottish church; frequency rank 5378
- almighty — having unlimited power; omnipotent, especially as an epithet for God; frequency rank 5388
- prophet — A person believed to speak on behalf of God and deliver religious messages; frequency rank 6799
- preacher — A person whose job is to give religious talks and lead worship.; frequency rank 7388
- rabbi — a Jewish religious scholar and teacher qualified to interpret Jewish law; frequency rank 7534
- parish — A local church district with its own church and priest.; frequency rank 7648
- shrine — a sacred place dedicated to a deity, saint, ancestor, relic, or other revered figure; frequency rank 8017
- preach — To give a religious talk, especially in a church service.; frequency rank 9640
- resurrection — a revival from inactivity and disuse; frequency rank 10423
- congregation — A group of people gathered together for a religious service.; frequency rank 10595
- archbishop — a senior Christian bishop who leads an archdiocese or presides over a province of dioceses; frequency rank 12181
- chaplain — a member of the clergy or another religious representative appointed to serve an institution, group, or private household; frequency rank 13071
- baptism — a Christian sacrament or rite involving water that marks spiritual cleansing and admission to the Church; frequency rank 14151
- talisman — an object believed to provide magical protection, good luck, health, or power; frequency rank 15378
- friar — a male member of a Christian mendicant order, such as the Franciscans or Dominicans; frequency rank 16661
- papal — relating to the pope, the papacy, or the pope's authority; frequency rank 17839
- devout — deeply committed to a religion and its practices; frequency rank 18065
- confessor — a priest who hears confessions and grants or pronounces absolution; frequency rank 18739
- archangel — an angel of the highest or a particularly high rank in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition; frequency rank 18889
- vigil — a period of remaining awake to watch, guard, care for someone, or pray; frequency rank 19007
- rosary — a string of beads used for counting prayers, especially in Roman Catholic devotion; frequency rank 19670
- sanctity — The state of being holy or sacred.; frequency rank 20494
- theology — The study of God, religion, and religious beliefs.; frequency rank 21249
- sacrificial — relating to, offered in, or used for a religious or ritual sacrifice; frequency rank 21734
- devotee — A person who is extremely enthusiastic about and devoted to something.; frequency rank 26373
- christen — to baptize someone in a Christian ceremony and formally give them a name; frequency rank 27918
- saintly — resembling or befitting a saint in holiness, virtue, patience, or kindness; frequency rank 30672
- nunnery — a convent for nuns, or the buildings occupied by such a religious community; frequency rank 30739
- manna — in the Book of Exodus, the food miraculously supplied to the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness; frequency rank 34239
- cherub — in Western art, an angel represented as a small, plump, winged child; frequency rank 34767
- evangelical — relating to a Protestant Christian movement that emphasizes personal conversion, biblical authority, and preaching the gospel; frequency rank 37227
- mythic — relating to, described in, or having the character of a myth; frequency rank 37609
- ecclesiastical — Of or pertaining to the church.; frequency rank 38778
- devotional — relating to religious worship, prayer, or private devotion; frequency rank 42902
- mitre — a tall ceremonial headdress worn by a bishop or certain other church dignitaries; frequency rank 52729
- ordination — the ceremony or process by which someone is officially made a priest, minister, or other religious leader; frequency rank 54926
- worshipper — a person who worships a god, especially one attending a religious service; frequency rank 55344
- graveside — the area immediately beside or around a grave; frequency rank 65965
- palmistry — the claimed practice of interpreting the lines and features of a person's palm to describe character or predict the future; frequency rank 91358
- immolate — offer as a sacrifice by killing or by giving up to destruction; frequency rank 94070
- immolation — the act of killing, sacrificing, or destroying by fire; frequency rank 97360
- heathenism — dated: beliefs or conduct regarded as non-Christian or irreligious; frequency rank 342152
- idolatry — the worship of idols or physical objects as gods

### C2
- palmer — historical: a pilgrim to the Holy Land, traditionally identified by the palm branch carried on returning home; frequency rank 5753
- epic — constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic; frequency rank 6793
- deacon — in several Christian churches, an ordained minister ranking below a priest; frequency rank 8843
- padre — a Christian priest, especially in a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking community; frequency rank 10094
- genie — a jinn: a spirit being in Islamic and pre-Islamic Arabian tradition, capable of choosing good or evil and normally invisible to humans; frequency rank 10548
- hydra — in Greek mythology, a many-headed serpent whose severed heads grew back; frequency rank 13010
- pagan — a follower of a polytheistic, nature-centered, or pre-Christian religion, including a person in a modern Pagan tradition; frequency rank 13272
- chastity — Vow made, usually because of moral or religious beliefs, to abstain from sexual relations.; frequency rank 14378
- horoscope — an astrological forecast of a person's future, often published according to their zodiac sign; frequency rank 14652
- blasphemy — speech or conduct that shows contempt for God, a religion, or something held sacred; frequency rank 16283
- heretic — Someone whose beliefs are contrary to the fundamental tenets of a religion they claim to belong to.; frequency rank 19303
- secular — Not connected with religion or spiritual matters.; frequency rank 20294
- chalice — a stemmed ceremonial cup, especially the cup used for wine in the Christian Eucharist; frequency rank 20844
- godless — not believing in or acknowledging a god or gods; frequency rank 22319
- sacrilege — the violation, misuse, or profanation of something regarded as sacred; frequency rank 22342
- sacrament — a Christian rite regarded as an outward sign of divine grace, such as baptism or the Eucharist; frequency rank 22576
- infidel — historical and often offensive: a person regarded as not accepting the religion considered true by the speaker; frequency rank 22653
- leviathan — a vast and powerful sea creature described in the Hebrew Bible; frequency rank 22723
- celibacy — abstaining from sexual relations, for example because of religious vows; frequency rank 23990
- adhere — To stick firmly to a surface.; frequency rank 24052
- passover — the Jewish spring festival commemorating the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt; frequency rank 24262
- crucifixion — execution by fastening a person to a cross or upright structure and leaving them to die; frequency rank 24322
- sharif — a descendant of the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima, traditionally entitled to a rank of nobility; frequency rank 25637
- nymph — in classical mythology, a female spirit associated with a natural place such as a spring, forest, or mountain; frequency rank 26457
- martyrdom — death or severe suffering endured because of loyalty to a religion, belief, or cause; frequency rank 26501
- caliph — a Muslim political and religious ruler claiming succession to the authority of the prophet Muhammad; frequency rank 26723
- circumcision — the surgical removal of the foreskin, often performed as a religious rite or medical procedure; frequency rank 27293
- pagoda — a Hindu or Buddhist temple or sacred tower, especially one built in several upward-curving tiers; frequency rank 27575
- sprite — a small supernatural being such as an elf, fairy, or spirit; frequency rank 28038
- rectory — a house provided for or occupied by a rector or another member of the clergy; frequency rank 28441
- fornication — sexual intercourse between people who are not married to each other, especially when regarded as illicit in religious or legal doctrine; frequency rank 28498
- blasphemous — showing gross disrespect or contempt for God, a religion, or something regarded as sacred; frequency rank 29073
- presbyterian — a member of a Protestant church governed by elected elders; frequency rank 29623
- hubris — Excessive arrogance or pride, or presumption; originally (Greek mythology) toward the gods.; frequency rank 29629
- Jesuit — a member of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order; frequency rank 30212
- diocese — a district under the pastoral and administrative authority of a bishop; frequency rank 30342
- vicarage — the house provided as the official residence of a Church of England vicar; frequency rank 31507
- gentile — a person who is not Jewish, often written with an initial capital; frequency rank 31965
- churchyard — land beside or around a church, often used as a burial ground; frequency rank 33587
- catechism — a summary of Christian doctrine arranged as questions and answers for instruction; frequency rank 34687
- fakir — a Muslim religious mendicant, especially a Sufi ascetic who renounces material possessions; frequency rank 35665
- perdition — eternal spiritual punishment or damnation; frequency rank 38600
- orc — in fantasy literature and games, a member of a race of aggressive, often monstrous humanoid creatures; frequency rank 38795
- sacrilegious — showing gross disrespect for, or violating, something regarded as sacred; frequency rank 38985
- cassock — a long, close-fitting garment worn by members of the clergy in some Christian traditions; frequency rank 39116
- papacy — the office, authority, or institution of the pope and the system by which the Roman Catholic Church is governed; frequency rank 40946
- pontiff — the pope, especially when referred to formally; frequency rank 41309
- tabernacle — the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites according to the Hebrew Bible; frequency rank 41807
- faun — in Roman mythology and later art, a rustic nature spirit represented as partly human and partly goat; frequency rank 42063
- fallacy — A mistaken belief based on faulty reasoning.; frequency rank 43048
- dervish — a member of a Sufi Muslim religious order, traditionally committed to poverty and devotional discipline; frequency rank 43053
- necromancer — a person believed to communicate with the dead for divination or to summon or control the dead by magic; frequency rank 43056
- sanctify — to make holy or formally set apart for sacred use; frequency rank 43504
- archdeacon — a senior Christian cleric who assists a bishop in administering part or all of a diocese, especially in the Anglican Church; frequency rank 43550
- vestal — a Vestal Virgin, one of the priestesses who tended the sacred fire of Vesta in ancient Rome; frequency rank 44555
- vespers — an evening service of prayer in several Christian traditions; one of the canonical hours; frequency rank 44681
- elysium — in Greek mythology, the paradise where favored heroes and the blessed dead enjoy an ideal afterlife; frequency rank 46564
- anathema — something or someone intensely disliked, rejected, or regarded as wholly unacceptable; frequency rank 47420
- sacrosanct — Beyond alteration, criticism, or interference, especially due to religious sanction; inviolable.; frequency rank 48068
- theologian — a scholar or specialist who studies theology and religious doctrine; frequency rank 48382
- sibyl — in the ancient world, a woman believed to deliver divine prophecies or oracles; frequency rank 48788
- evangelist — a Christian preacher who seeks to convert others or revive religious faith; frequency rank 48789
- vestry — a room in or attached to a church where clergy put on vestments, sacred objects are kept, or meetings are held; frequency rank 49471
- parsonage — a house provided by a church as the residence of its minister or parson; frequency rank 52653
- incubus — in folklore, a male demon believed to lie upon and sexually assault sleeping women; frequency rank 52857
- mercurial — relating to or containing or caused by mercury; frequency rank 53287
- consecration — (religion) sanctification of something by setting it apart (usually with religious rites) as dedicated to God; frequency rank 54119
- excommunicate — to officially exclude someone from participation or membership in a church or religious community; frequency rank 56220
- apostate — Guilty of apostasy.; frequency rank 56947
- unction — the ceremonial act of anointing someone with oil, especially as a religious rite; frequency rank 58116
- episcopal — of or relating to bishops or to government of a church by bishops; frequency rank 58556
- minaret — a tall, slender tower attached to or standing near a mosque, traditionally used for the call to prayer; frequency rank 58568
- presbytery — in Presbyterian churches, a governing council of ministers and elected elders from congregations in a district; frequency rank 58820
- homily — a sermon explaining a religious or moral subject, especially one based on a passage of scripture; frequency rank 59429
- prelate — a Christian cleric of high rank or authority, such as a bishop, archbishop, or abbot; frequency rank 61669
- liturgy — a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship; frequency rank 61691
- enchanter — a magician or sorcerer who casts spells; frequency rank 62252
- witchery — witchcraft or the supposed practice of magic; frequency rank 62365
- pentecostal — of or relating to or occurring at Pentecost; frequency rank 64369
- sacristan — The person who maintains the sacristy and the sacred objects it contains.; frequency rank 65947
- primacy — The state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, etc.; frequency rank 68305
- votive — offered, dedicated, or performed in fulfillment of a vow or as an expression of devotion; frequency rank 68518
- ordain — To officially make someone a priest, minister, or other religious leader; frequency rank 70216
- necromancy — the supposed practice of communicating with the dead, especially to obtain hidden knowledge or predict the future; frequency rank 71760
- sepulcher — literary or historical: a tomb, grave, or chamber in which a dead person is buried; frequency rank 72774
- neophyte — A beginner; someone who is new to an activity, subject, or belief.; frequency rank 73130
- churchwarden — a lay officer responsible for the property, administration, and secular affairs of an Anglican parish; frequency rank 74593
- seraph — an angel of the seraphim, traditionally represented with six wings and ranked in the highest order of Christian angelology; frequency rank 76551
- godhead — divine nature, rank, or essence; the state of being a god; frequency rank 76565
- ablution — the act of washing oneself, especially as part of a regular routine; often plural; frequency rank 76607
- transmigration — the passage of a soul after death into another body or form of life; frequency rank 80807
- omniscience — the state or capacity of knowing everything, especially as an attribute of a deity; frequency rank 82414
- mythos — the body of myths, stories, and symbols associated with a culture, religion, tradition, or fictional world; frequency rank 82552
- asceticism — the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from physical comforts or pleasures; frequency rank 83206
- naiad — in Greek mythology, a female nymph believed to inhabit and protect a spring, river, lake, or fountain; frequency rank 84541
- chasuble — the sleeveless outer liturgical vestment worn by a priest when celebrating the Eucharist or Mass; frequency rank 84808
- obsequies — funeral rites or ceremonies, especially formal ones; frequency rank 85056
- iconoclast — One who destroys religious images or icons, especially an opponent of the Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th centuries, or a Puritan during the European Reformation.; frequency rank 87481
- encyclical — an authoritative pastoral letter issued by the pope and circulated broadly within the Roman Catholic Church; frequency rank 89160
- churchman — a male member of the clergy or another man holding authority in a Christian church; frequency rank 89680
- Gehenna — a place or state of extreme suffering or misery; frequency rank 95096
- missal — a book containing the prayers and texts used in the Roman Catholic Mass; frequency rank 95607
- impiety — lack of reverence or respect for a god, religion, or something regarded as sacred; frequency rank 95656
- puritanism — the religious beliefs, practices, and historical movement of the Protestant Puritans; frequency rank 97516
- pontifical — pompously self-important or pretentiously dogmatic; frequency rank 100031
- blessedness — a state of complete happiness, fulfillment, or spiritual well-being; frequency rank 100087
- scriptural — relating to, contained in, or derived from the sacred writings of a religion, especially the Bible; frequency rank 103069
- censer — a vessel in which incense is burned, especially a covered metal container swung on chains during a religious ceremony; frequency rank 103610
- metempsychosis — the supposed transmigration of a soul at death into another body, whether human, animal, or another living form; frequency rank 105789
- conjuration — the supposed act of summoning a spirit or supernatural being by magic; frequency rank 107447
- bogle — a goblin, specter, or other frightening supernatural being in northern British and Scots folklore; frequency rank 110562
- ecclesiastic — a member of the clergy, especially in a Christian church; formal; frequency rank 111840
- hierophant — in ancient Greece, a priest who revealed and interpreted sacred mysteries, especially at Eleusis; frequency rank 115078
- surplice — a loose white Christian liturgical vestment with wide sleeves, worn over a cassock by clergy and other ministers; frequency rank 116202
- glebe — land belonging to a parish church or ecclesiastical benefice and providing income for its clergy; frequency rank 118160
- demoniac — of, resembling, or apparently possessed by a demon; frenzied and terrifying; frequency rank 121075
- vestment — a ceremonial garment worn by a member of the clergy during worship; frequency rank 122123
- beatitude — a state of supreme happiness or blessedness; frequency rank 122715
- deify — consider as a god or godlike; frequency rank 125472
- catechist — One who practices catechesis, i.e., catechizes catechumens; a teacher who instructs students in the doctrines of a particular Christian denomination typically in preparation for confirmation.; frequency rank 126522
- solemnize — to perform the official or religious ceremony of a marriage; frequency rank 130121
- stoup — a small basin for holy water, especially one fixed near the entrance of a church; frequency rank 132721
- sectarianism — rigid or exclusive loyalty to a religious, political, or ideological group, especially when it causes hostility toward other groups; frequency rank 132759
- philter — a supposedly magical potion, especially one intended to arouse love; frequency rank 134264
- aureole — a halo or circle of radiant light around the head or body of a sacred figure in art; frequency rank 135002
- flagellate — to whip or scourge, especially as punishment or religious mortification; frequency rank 140392
- polytheism — belief in or worship of more than one god; frequency rank 142931
- theosophy — religious or mystical philosophy claiming direct spiritual insight into the nature of God, the soul, or the divine world; frequency rank 145908
- saintliness — the quality of being exceptionally holy, virtuous, selfless, or like a saint; frequency rank 159473
- soutane — a long, close-fitting robe worn by some Christian clergy; frequency rank 160437
- propitiate — To conciliate, appease, or make peace with someone, particularly a god or spirit.; frequency rank 160861
- revivalist — a preacher who conducts Christian religious revivals, often traveling between communities; frequency rank 161152
- monasticism — a religious way of life in which people withdraw from ordinary society and live under spiritual discipline, often in a community; frequency rank 163423
- sylph — in the occult system of Paracelsus and later literature, an elemental spirit of the air, usually invisible and often represented as female; frequency rank 168143
- numinous — evincing the presence of a deity; frequency rank 169931
- baptistry — a part of a church, or a separate building beside one, where baptisms are performed; frequency rank 171061
- monstrance — an ornamental vessel with a transparent central compartment in which the consecrated Eucharistic host is displayed for veneration; frequency rank 171274
- purgation — the act of cleansing someone or something of impurity, guilt, or defilement; frequency rank 173644
- paraclete — An advocate or helper; frequency rank 177818
- orison — A prayer.; frequency rank 181055
- evangelize — to preach the Christian gospel, especially in order to convert people; frequency rank 181069
- psalmist — a writer or composer of psalms, especially one of the biblical Psalms; frequency rank 189090
- demoniacal — resembling, caused by, or characteristic of a demon; wildly evil or frenzied; frequency rank 189892
- benefice — an endowed church office or living that provides income to its holder; frequency rank 192585
- evangelization — the activity of spreading the Christian gospel or seeking to convert people to Christianity; frequency rank 194335
- unreligious — not believing in, practicing, or showing an interest in religion; frequency rank 207199
- sectary — a member or adherent of a particular religious sect, school of thought, or party; now rare; frequency rank 210140
- phylactery — either of two small leather cases containing Torah passages, traditionally worn during weekday morning prayer; a tefilla; frequency rank 217273
- theosophist — a follower or advocate of theosophy, especially a member of the modern Theosophical movement; frequency rank 224120
- hymnbook — a book containing a collection of hymns for worship or communal singing; frequency rank 226673
- Vulgate — the Latin version of the Bible chiefly prepared by Saint Jerome and adopted as the Catholic Church's standard Latin text; frequency rank 236782
- animistic — relating to animism, the belief that spirits or souls inhabit natural beings, objects, or phenomena; frequency rank 239630
- doxology — a short hymn or formula praising God, often sung at the end of a Christian service; frequency rank 242862
- curacy — the office, appointment, or period of service of a curate, including the stipend attached to the post; frequency rank 277668
- religieuse — dated: a nun or other woman belonging to a religious order; frequency rank 280347
- psalmody — the act of singing psalms or hymns; frequency rank 298693
- chimerical — produced by a wildly fanciful imagination; frequency rank 307325
- votary — a devoted follower, supporter, or practitioner of a cause, leader, or pursuit; frequency rank 308142
- uncreated — not brought into existence by an act of creation; existing without having been created; frequency rank 337737
- kirkyard — A churchyard, especially one in Scotland.; frequency rank 366541
- proselyte — a person newly converted to a religion, doctrine, or cause; frequency rank 368173
- consistorial — of or relating to a consistory, especially an ecclesiastical council, court, or governing body; frequency rank 387141
- transcendentalist — a follower of transcendentalism, especially the nineteenth-century American movement that emphasized intuition, individual conscience, and the spiritual value of nature; frequency rank 388347
- diablerie — sorcery, witchcraft, or supposed dealings with devils; frequency rank 388654
- salvationist — a person who preaches or strongly emphasizes religious salvation, especially a member of the Salvation Army; frequency rank 398529
- houri — in Islamic tradition, one of the beautiful companions of the blessed in Paradise; frequency rank 398838
- dalmatic — a long, loose, wide-sleeved liturgical vestment worn especially by a deacon at Mass or the Eucharist; frequency rank 431870
- spiritualize — to make a person, experience, or activity more spiritual, elevated, or concerned with the soul; frequency rank 439665
- quietist — a follower of Quietism, a mystical tradition emphasizing passive contemplation and surrender of the will; frequency rank 448487
- sacerdotal — relating to priests, the priesthood, or priestly functions; frequency rank 454754
- martyrology — a calendar, register, or book listing martyrs and saints, often arranged by feast day; frequency rank 465327
- deistic — relating to deism, the belief in a creator known through reason rather than revelation and generally not intervening in the universe; frequency rank 489870
- conventicle — historical: a secret, unauthorized, or legally prohibited meeting for religious worship; frequency rank 491482
- catechize — to instruct someone in religious doctrine by means of questions and answers; frequency rank 512226
- abbacy — the office, dignity, jurisdiction, estate, or term of service of an abbot or abbess; frequency rank 513700
- atheistical — Of or relating to atheism; atheistic.; frequency rank 565888
- secularly — In a way not connected with religion.; frequency rank 585709
- supernal — literary: belonging to heaven, the sky, or a spiritual realm; frequency rank 619792
- prelapsarian — relating to the state of humanity before the biblical Fall; frequency rank 640381
- dedicatory — serving as or relating to a dedication; frequency rank 643997
- canonry — the office, benefice, or prebend held by a canon of a cathedral or collegiate church; frequency rank 654991
- diabolism — belief in, worship of, or ritual dealings with devils; frequency rank 684124
- quietism — a Christian mystical doctrine emphasizing passive contemplation and the surrender of personal will to God; frequency rank 859803
- sudarium — in ancient Rome, a small linen cloth carried for wiping perspiration from the face; a handkerchief; frequency rank 938282
- priestcraft — derogatory: the use of priestly authority or religious influence for political or worldly control
- fire-worshiper — a person who worships or religiously venerates fire
- chalice veil — a cloth used to cover a chalice and its associated vessels before or after their use in Christian liturgy, especially at Mass
- solemnization — the official or ceremonial performance of a marriage
- pneumatology — the study of spirits or spiritual beings; in older philosophy, the study of the soul and God
- presentee — a person formally presented or nominated for an office, benefice, award, or other position
- impropriation — English ecclesiastical law: the transfer of a church benefice or its tithes into the hands of a layperson or secular corporation
- provisor — historical church law: a person appointed by papal provision to a benefice, sometimes before the office became vacant
- predestine — to decide, determine, or make inevitable in advance
- antinomianism — the Christian theological doctrine that salvation by faith and grace frees believers from the obligation of moral law
- mystagogue — historical religion: a person who guides an initiate into the rites and doctrines of a mystery cult
- theolatry — the worship of a god or gods
- ferial — relating to an ordinary weekday rather than a religious festival, especially in Christian liturgy
- commination — a formal denunciation or threat of punishment, especially divine punishment
- syncretic — combining elements from different beliefs, traditions, or systems into a single form

### C2+
- Jove — Jupiter, the chief god in Roman mythology, especially in literary references; frequency rank 19074
- nosferatu — a vampire, especially one represented as an undead and malignant creature; frequency rank 41725
- grimly — in a grim implacable manner; frequency rank 67480
- paean — To sing a paean; to praise.; frequency rank 167598
- philander — To woo women; to play the male flirt.; frequency rank 179037
- predestinate — determined or arranged beforehand, especially by fate or divine will; frequency rank 286737
- pew-opener — historically, a church attendant who opened enclosed or reserved pews and showed worshippers to their seats; frequency rank 816642
- lotus-eater — in Greek mythology, one of a people whose lotus fruit made visitors forget their homes and lose the desire to leave; frequency rank 975474
- pre-Adamite — a hypothetical person or member of a race believed to have existed before the biblical Adam; frequency rank 978734
- cerement — a shroud or waxed cloth in which a dead body is wrapped for burial, often used in the plural; frequency rank 1075054
- lych-gate — a roofed gateway to a churchyard where a coffin traditionally rested before a funeral service; frequency rank 1173402
- celestial — relating to the sky or heavens, or to heaven in a divine sense
- hallow — to make holy or to honor as sacred
- consecrate — to make or declare sacred; to dedicate solemnly
- abjure — to solemnly renounce or reject a belief or claim
- hallowed — regarded as holy or greatly revered
- ineffable — too great or sacred to be expressed in words
- earthly — relating to the material world rather than the spiritual; worldly
- eremite — a religious recluse; a hermit (literary)
- espouse — to adopt or support a cause, belief, or way of life
- fallacious — based on a mistaken belief or unsound reasoning
- godlike — resembling or having the qualities of a god; divine or supremely excellent
- irreligious — indifferent or hostile to religion
- perfidy — deceitfulness; treachery or breach of faith
- supposition — an assumption or belief held without proof
- graveyard — a burial ground, especially one beside a church
- lustrate — to purify ceremonially, especially by ritual washing or sacrifice
- profane — showing disrespect for sacred things; secular; to treat irreverently
- agnostic — one who holds that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable
- anchoret — a religious hermit or recluse; an anchorite
- ba — in ancient Egyptian belief, the soul or spiritual aspect of a person
- ceremonious — marked by formal politeness or elaborate ritual
- communion — the sharing of intimate thoughts or feelings; a Christian sacrament
- consecrated — declared sacred and dedicated to a religious purpose
- creationism — the belief that the universe and life originated from divine acts of creation
- creed — a formal statement of religious belief or a set of guiding principles
- debunk — to expose the falseness of a claim, myth, or pretension
- ecumenical — promoting unity among Christian churches; universal in scope
- ingrained — firmly fixed or deeply rooted, as a habit or belief
- mystical — relating to spiritual mystery or transcendent experience beyond ordinary understanding
- mythical — occurring in or characteristic of myth; imaginary or fictitious
- mythify — to make into or treat as a myth; to mythologize
- nonsecular — not secular; religious or sacred in character
- oblation — a religious offering or sacrifice presented to a deity
- orthodox — conforming to established or traditional beliefs, especially in religion
- pious — devoutly religious, or hypocritically virtuous
- profanation — the act of treating something sacred with irreverence
- reputedly — according to general belief; supposedly
- agnosticism — the view that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable
- antireligion — opposed to religion, or such opposition itself
- antireligious — hostile or opposed to religion
- apotheosis — the highest point of development; elevation to divine status
- atheistic — relating to or holding the belief that no god exists
- ave — a salutation of greeting or farewell; an Ave Maria prayer
- bacchant — a priest or votary of Bacchus; a drunken reveler
- begorra — an Irish exclamation of surprise, a euphemism for 'by God'
- blaspheme — to speak irreverently or profanely about God or sacred things
- canonize — to declare officially a saint; to treat as authoritative or sacred
- clergyman — an ordained male minister of a Christian church
- confraternity — a brotherhood, especially a religious or charitable association
- convincingly — in a manner that compels belief or agreement
- cultic — relating to a religious cult or ritual worship
- deity — a god or goddess; divine nature
- demigod — a being part divine and part mortal
- desecration — the act of violating the sanctity of something sacred
- faithbreach — a breaking of faith or trust; betrayal of a pledge
- fatalism — the belief that all events are predetermined and inevitable
- gossipred — the spiritual kinship of godparents; sponsorship at baptism
- halidom — a holy place or sacred thing, often invoked in solemn oaths
- irreverence — lack of due respect for sacred or serious things
- latitudinarian — tolerant of varying views, especially in religion
- misapprehension — a mistaken belief or misunderstanding
- monotheism — the belief in the existence of only one god
- mysterial — of or relating to a mystery or to sacred mysteries
- nonreligious — not connected with religion; secular
- parson — a parish priest or clergyman
- prophecy — a prediction of what will happen, especially one of divine inspiration
- providential — occurring as if by divine intervention; fortunate and timely
- reliquary — a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept
- revelator — one who reveals or discloses something, especially a divine truth
- sabbath — a day of religious rest and worship, especially the seventh day
- sanctified — made holy or set apart as sacred
- sanctimonious — making a hypocritical show of moral or religious superiority
- sodality — a fellowship, association, or religious confraternity
- unholy — wicked or sinful; not sacred
- kirkgarth — in Northern English dialect, a churchyard or the enclosed ground around a church
- omnividence — the quality or power of seeing everything; all-seeingness
- cloud-compeller — poetic: a cloud-gatherer; an epithet for Zeus or Jove
- talaria — the winged sandals of Hermes or Mercury in classical mythology
- anathematise — chiefly British: to condemn, denounce, or formally pronounce an anathema against someone or something
- apotheosize — to elevate a person to divine status; to deify
- woodnymph — in classical mythology and later literature, a nymph or female nature spirit inhabiting a forest or tree; a dryad
- orphrey — a richly embroidered ornamental band applied to a Christian ecclesiastical vestment, altar frontal, or similar textile
- camp meeting — a series of Christian revival services, traditionally held outdoors with worshippers camping nearby
- genuflectory — rare: relating to, characterized by, or requiring genuflection or kneeling
- coenobite — a monk or other member of a religious community who lives under a common rule, as distinct from a solitary hermit
- cabalistically — in a manner relating to the Kabbalah or to mystical interpretation through letters, numbers, and hidden correspondences
- love-philter — a potion or charm believed to make a person fall in love