Antireligious

/ˌæntiːrɪˈlɪdʒəs/ adjective

Definition

Opposed to or hostile toward religion and religious beliefs or practices.

Etymology

From anti- (against) + religious (from Latin religiosus, devoted to religion). The prefix anti- comes from Greek and Latin meaning 'against' or 'opposite.' This compound emerged in the 18th century during the Enlightenment when secular philosophy challenged traditional religious authority.

Kelly Says

The French Enlightenment philosophers were some of the first major antireligious thinkers, and their ideas directly shaped the American and French revolutions—showing how word ideas can literally reshape governments and societies.

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