Multireligious

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to or inclusive of several different religions within a group, context, or society
2. Characterizing something that embraces or incorporates diverse religious beliefs and practices
3. Describing a state or environment where various faiths coexist or interact

Etymology: "Multireligious" is a plain compound: the prefix "multi-", from Latin "multus" meaning "many" or "much", attached to "religious." The prefix reaches English through Middle English and Latin, as the root "multus" itself descends from an ancient Italic form that traces back to the same Proto-Indo-European root as words for "much" in other languages. "Religious" carries the older load. It comes from Latin "religiosus," which was built on "religio," a word the Romans used for scrupulous observance of sacred duties and ritual obligations rather than for a set of beliefs. The adjective therefore began as a description of careful devotion to rites, and only later came to mean religious belief in general. Combining the two produces a term describing a place, community, or institution that holds many faiths side by side. The word is a modern formation, built from familiar English parts, rather than a classical inheritance, so its literal sense is simply "many religions."

Synonyms: interfaith, multifaith

Antonyms: monotheistic, single-faith