Religiousizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Giving a practice, object or institution a religious character or purpose, so that it becomes sacred or devotional in nature
2. Rendering something as religious in its quality, tone or function by bringing it under faith or spiritual influence
3. Transforming an activity, belief or place into one with a religious meaning or observance, often by deliberate interpretation or treatment

Etymology: "Religiousizing" is the present participle of "religiousize," a verb meaning to make something religious or to give it a religious character. It is built from "religious," which came into English from Old French "religieux" and ultimately from Latin "religiosus," meaning scrupulous or devoted to the sacred. The suffix "-ize," borrowed through Latin and Greek, turns an adjective into a verb of making, and the "-ing" ending marks the participle, so the word describes the ongoing act of bringing religious qualities to something. Because the root is so familiar, the word can look like a simple add-on, and that is largely what it is. It belongs to a productive pattern in English, where "-ize" verbs such as "modernize" or "secularize" can be formed on almost any adjective. The verb "secularize," for instance, follows the same route and is a useful comparison, since the two describe opposite movements.