Etymology Map
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Religion

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means belief in and worship of a god or gods; a particular system of faith

Where does the word "religion" come from? It comes from Latin religio, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
religio
Latin · classical
"reverence, scruple"
origin disputed since antiquity: Cicero derived it from relegere 're-read, go over carefully', while the Christian writer Lactantius preferred religare 'to bind'
2
Stage 2 of 3
religion
Old French · 1100s
"monastic life"
meant above all the life of a monastic order
3
Stage 3 of 3
religion
English · 1200s
"belief and worship"
Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy of 1534 made the king head of the Church of England, turning religion into a matter of state
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Read the full story

Religion’s story begins in Latin: religio meant “reverence, scruple.” Origin disputed since antiquity: Cicero derived it from relegere 're-read, go over carefully', while the Christian writer Lactantius preferred religare 'to bind'. By 1100s, the word had taken hold in Old French as religion. Meant above all the life of a monastic order. It reached English by 1200s as religion. Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy of 1534 made the king head of the Church of England, turning religion into a matter of state. Today, religion means belief in and worship of a god or gods; a particular system of faith.