religiöse

Religiöse is a German adjective meaning “religious.” It describes things that are connected with religion, including people, beliefs, practices, institutions, or objects. The term is widely used in everyday language as well as in academic and media contexts. Common collocations include religiöse Überzeugungen (religious beliefs), religiöse Rituale (religious rituals), religiöse Gemeinschaft (religious community), and religiöse Bildung (religious education).

In German, relgiöse is declined like other adjectives and changes its ending according to gender, number, and case. After a definite article, the endings are typically -e for feminine singular (die religiöse Frau) and -en for plural (die religiösen Texte, die religiösen Gemeinschaften). In strong declension without an article, the forms are: religiöser Mann (masc nom), religiöse Frau (fem nom), religiöses Kind (neut nom), and religiöse Texte (plural nom/acc). The base form religious is also used as a predicate adjective: Er ist religiös.

Religiöse is often contrasted with related terms such as Glauben and Gläubigkeit. While religiöse describes relation to religion, gläubig refers to belief or piety in an individual. In sociology and religious studies, religiöse Praxis (religious practice) and Religiosität (religiosity) are common analytic concepts for discussing the role of religion in life, identity, and society. The term remains neutral and descriptive, suitable for both descriptive and evaluative discussions depending on context.

See also: Religion, Religionswissenschaft, Religiosität, Religionspraxis, Religionsfreiheit.