religious order

Other forms: religious orders

Definitions of religious order

1. noun

   a subdivision of a larger religious group
   synonyms: religious sect, sect

   types:

   sisterhood

   a religious society of women who live together as sisters (especially an order of nuns)

   Albigenses, Cathari, Cathars

   a Christian religious sect in southern France in the 12th and 13th centuries; believers in Albigensianism

   High Anglican Church, High Church

   a group in the Anglican Church that emphasizes the Catholic tradition (especially in sacraments and rituals and obedience to church authority)

   Abecedarian

   a 16th century sect of Anabaptists centered in Germany who had an absolute disdain for human knowledge

   Amish sect

   an orthodox Anabaptist sect separated from the Mennonites in late 17th century; settled chiefly in southeastern Pennsylvania

   Karaites

   a Jewish sect that recognizes only the Hebrew Scriptures as the source of divinely inspired legislation and denies the authority of the postbiblical tradition of the Talmud; the sect arose in Iraq in the eighth century

   Shia, Shiah, Shiah Islam

   one of the two main branches of orthodox Islam; mainly in Iran

   Sunni, Sunni Islam

   one of the two main branches of orthodox Islam

   Shivaism, Sivaism

   a Hindu sect worshiping Shiva

   Saktism, Shaktism

   a Hindu sect worshiping Shakti

   Vaishnavism, Vaisnavism

   Hindu sect worshiping of Vishnu

   Haredi

   any of several sects of Orthodox Judaism that reject modern secular culture and many of whom do not recognize the spiritual authority of the modern state of Israel

   Hare Krishna, ISKCON, International Society for Krishna Consciousness

   a religious sect founded in the United States in 1966; based on Vedic scriptures; groups engage in joyful chanting of `Hare Krishna' and other mantras based on the name of the Hindu god Krishna; devotees usually wear saffron robes and practice vegetarianism and celibacy

   Jainism

   sect founded in the 6th century BC as a revolt against Hinduism

   Taoism

   a Chinese sect claiming to follow the teaching of Lao-tzu but incorporating pantheism and sorcery in addition to Taoism

   Kokka, Kokka Shinto

   the branch of Shinto recognized as the official state religion of Japan

   Shua, Shuha Shinto

   any branch of Shinto other than Kokka

   brethren

   (plural) the lay members of a male religious order

   monastic order, order

   a group of person living under a religious rule

   Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, Society of Friends

   a Christian sect founded by George Fox about 1660; commonly called Quakers

   Shakers, United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing

   a celibate and communistic Christian sect in the United States

   Vaudois, Waldenses

   a Christian sect of dissenters that originated in southern France in the late 12th century adopted Calvinist doctrines in the 16th century

   Zurvanism

   a Zoroastrian sect that claims Zurvan was the ultimate source of the universe

   Augustinian order

   any of several monastic orders observing a rule derived from the writings of St. Augustine

   Benedictine order, order of Saint Benedict

   a Roman Catholic monastic order founded in the 6th century; noted for liturgical worship and for scholarly activities

   Carmelite order, Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

   a Roman Catholic mendicant order founded in the 12th century

   Carthusian order

   an austere contemplative Roman Catholic order founded by St. Bruno in 1084

   Dominican order

   a Roman Catholic order of mendicant preachers founded in the 13th century

   Franciscan order

   a Roman Catholic order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in the 13th century

   Jesuit order, Society of Jesus

   a Roman Catholic order founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1534 to defend Catholicism against the Reformation and to do missionary work among the heathen; it is strongly committed to education and scholarship

   type of:

   faith, organized religion, religion

   an institution to express belief in a divine power