irreligious

adjective

ir·​re·​li·​gious ˌir-i-ˈli-jəs How to pronounce irreligious (audio)
1
: neglectful of religion : lacking religious emotions, doctrines, or practices
so irreligious that they exploit popular religion for professional purposesG. B. Shaw
2
: indicating lack of religion
irreligiously adverb

Examples of irreligious in a Sentence

raised in an irreligious family where the subject of God was never even discussed
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Silverstein had a much different experience growing up, given the fact that his parents were both Baalei teshuva (irreligious Jews who become more observant later in life). Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025 Finishing off the top 5 is religious flick The Forge with an irreligious weekend take-home of $6.6. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2024 Ephraim — ambitious, socialist and irreligious — takes his family to Riga, Latvia, to Palestine and finally to France. Lauren Elkin, Washington Post, 16 May 2023 Conservative religiosity is of course not a requirement for autocracy – just look at the previous era of Russian autocracy, which was decidedly irreligious. Jill Filipovic, CNN, 21 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for irreligious

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of irreligious was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Irreligious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irreligious. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

irreligious

adjective
ir·​re·​li·​gious ˌir-i-ˈlij-əs How to pronounce irreligious (audio)
: lacking religious emotions, principles, or practices
irreligiously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on irreligious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!