antireligiosity
|an-ti-re-li-gi-o-si-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌæntiˌrɛlɪˈdʒɑsəti/
🇬🇧
/ˌæntiˌrɛlɪˈdʒɒsəti/
opposition to religion
Etymology
'antireligiosity' originates from a combination of the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-', meaning 'against') and the noun 'religiosity' (from Latin/French roots), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'religiosity' denotes 'the state of being religious'.
'antireligiosity' formed in modern English by prefixing 'anti-' to 'religiosity'. 'Religiosity' itself descends from French/Latin ('religiositas' in Late Latin) derived from 'religio' (Latin), and modern English compounded forms adopted 'anti-' in the 18th–20th centuries to signal opposition, producing 'antireligiosity' in contemporary usage.
Initially, components meant 'against' (anti-) and 'the state of being religious' (religiosity); over time the combined form came to denote specifically 'opposition to religion' or, in some contexts, 'lack of religious feeling', which is the current usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or quality of being opposed to religion; hostility or active opposition toward religious beliefs, institutions, or influence.
Scholarly surveys noted an increase in antireligiosity among younger generations in urban areas.
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Noun 2
a general lack of religious feeling or practice (closer to irreligion or indifference rather than active opposition).
His antireligiosity manifested more as indifference than as active campaigning against faith.
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Last updated: 2025/09/08 23:50