mur·der·er (mûr’dər-ər) pronunciation
n.

One who commits murder.

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murderer

noun

One who murders another: butcher, cutthroat, homicide, killer, manslayer, massacrer, murderess, slaughterer, slayer, triggerman. See help/harm/harmless.

no·tion (nō’shən) pronunciation
n.

1. A belief or opinion.
2. A mental image or representation; an idea or conception.
3. A fanciful impulse; a whim. See synonyms at idea.
4. notions Small lightweight items for household use, such as needles, buttons, and thread.

sop·o·rif·ic (sŏp’ə-rĭf’ĭk, sō’pə-) pronunciation
adj.

1. Inducing or tending to induce sleep.
2. Drowsy.

soporific

adjective

1. Inducing sleep or sedation: hypnotic, narcotic, opiate, sedative, sleepy, slumberous, somnifacient, somniferous, somnific, somnolent. See awareness/unawareness.
2. Ready for or needing sleep: dozy, drowsy, nodding, sleepy, slumberous, slumbery, somnolent. See awareness/unawareness.

noun

Something that induces sleep or sedation: hypnotic, narcotic, opiate, sedative, somnifacient. See awareness/unawareness.

mur·der (mûr’dər) pronunciation
n.

1. The unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice.
2. Slang. Something that is very uncomfortable, difficult, or hazardous: The rush hour traffic is murder.
3. A flock of crows. See synonyms at flock1.

v., -dered, -der·ing, -ders.

v.tr.

1. To kill (another human) unlawfully.
2. To kill brutally or inhumanly.
3. To put an end to; destroy: murdered their chances.
4. To spoil by ineptness; mutilate: a speech that murdered the English language.
5. Slang. To defeat decisively; trounce.

v.intr.

To commit murder.
idioms:

get away with murder Informal.

1. To escape punishment for or detection of an egregiously blameworthy act.

murder will out

1. Secrets or misdeeds will eventually be disclosed.
(Haritage)

1. A coelenterate, such as a hydra or coral, having a cylindrical body and an oral opening usually surrounded by tentacles.
2. A usually nonmalignant growth or tumor protruding from the mucous lining of an organ such as the nose, bladder, or intestine, often causing obstruction.

1. The quality or state of being mobile.
2. The movement of people, as from one social group, class, or level to another: “There’s been . . . restructuring of industry and downward mobility for Americans as a whole” (Lawrence W. Sherman).
Military:DOD, NATO) A quality or capability of military forces which permits them to move from place to place while retaining the ability to fulfill their primary mission.

1.
a. Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
b. An instance of this: a person with multiple chemical addictions.
2
a. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
b. An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.

1. To stick fast by or as if by suction or glue.
2. To remain devoted to or be in support of something: adhered to her beliefs.
3. To carry out a plan, scheme, or operation without deviation: We will adhere to our plan.

1. An introduction or preface, especially a poem recited to introduce a play.
2. An introduction or introductory chapter, as to a novel.
3. An introductory act, event, or period.

1. A piece of excrement.
2. Slang. A contemptible person.
CRAP-1. Excrement.
2. An act of defecating.
3. Foolish, deceitful, or boastful language.
4. Cheap or shoddy material.
5. Miscellaneous or disorganized items; clutter.
6. Insolent talk or behavior.

so·ci·ol·o·gy (sō’sē-ŏl’ə-jē, -shē-) pronunciation
n.

1. The study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society.
2. Analysis of a social institution or societal segment as a self-contained entity or in relation to society as a whole.

in-con-ti-nent
1. Not restrained: uncontrolled: incontinent rage
2. Lacking normal voluntary control of excretory functions.
3. Lacking sexual restraint; unchaste

scrotum-the pouch of skin that contains the testes and their coverings.

1. The act or an instance of diverting or turning aside; deviation.
2. Something that distracts the mind and relaxes or entertains.
3. A maneuver that draws the attention of an opponent away from a planned point of action, especially as part of military strategy.

alter ego
n.

1. Another side of oneself; a second self.
2. An intimate friend or a constant companion.

[Latin : alter, other + ego, I, self.]

lib·er·al (lĭb’ər-əl, lĭb’rəl) pronunciation
adj.

I.
1. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
2. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
3. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
4. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
II.
1. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
2. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.

1. Archaic. Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
2. Obsolete. Morally unrestrained; licentious.

n.

1. A person with liberal ideas or opinions.
2. Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.

[Middle English, generous, from Old French, from Latin līberālis, from līber, free.]

con·trol (kən-trōl’) pronunciation
tr.v., -trolled, -trol·ling, -trols.

1. To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct. See synonyms at conduct.
2. To adjust to a requirement; regulate: controlled trading on the stock market; controls the flow of water.
3. To hold in restraint; check: struggled to control my temper.
4. To reduce or prevent the spread of: control insects; controlled the fire by dousing it with water.
5.
1. To verify or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or by comparing with another standard.
2. To verify (an account, for example) by using a duplicate register for comparison.

n.

1. Authority or ability to manage or direct: lost control of the skidding car; the leaders in control of the country.
2.
1. One that controls; a controlling agent, device, or organization.
2. An instrument or set of instruments used to operate, regulate, or guide a machine or vehicle. Often used in the plural.
3. A restraining device, measure, or limit; a curb: a control on prices; price controls.
4.
1. A standard of comparison for checking or verifying the results of an experiment.
2. An individual or group used as a standard of comparison in a control experiment.
5. An intelligence agent who supervises or instructs another agent.
6. A spirit presumed to speak or act through a medium.

con·ser·va·tive (kən-sûr’və-tĭv) pronunciation
adj.

1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit.
3. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.
4.
1. Of or relating to the political philosophy of conservatism.
2. Belonging to a conservative party, group, or movement.
5. Conservative Of or belonging to the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
6. Conservative Of or adhering to Conservative Judaism.
7. Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.

n.

1. One favoring traditional views and values.
2. A supporter of political conservatism.
3. Conservative A member or supporter of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
4. Archaic. A preservative agent or principle.

con·ser’va·tive·ly adv.
con·ser’va·tive·ness n.
con·ser·va·tism (kən-sûr’və-tĭz’əm) pronunciation
n.

1. The inclination, especially in politics, to maintain the existing or traditional order.
2. A political philosophy or attitude emphasizing respect for traditional institutions, distrust of government activism, and opposition to sudden change in the established order.
3. Conservatism The principles and policies of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or of the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
4. Caution or moderation, as in behavior or outlook.

con·ser·va·tism (kən-sûr’və-tĭz’əm) pronunciation
n.

conservatism, in politics, the desire to maintain, or conserve, the existing order. Conservatives value the wisdom of the past and are generally opposed to widespread reform. Modern political conservatism emerged in the 19th cent. in reaction to the political and social changes associated with the eras of the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. By 1850 the term conservatism, probably first used by Chateaubriand, generally meant the politics of the right. The original tenets of European conservatism had already been formulated by Edmund Burke, Joseph de Maistre, and others. They emphasized preserving the power of king and aristocracy, maintaining the influence of landholders against the rising industrial bourgeoisie, limiting suffrage, and continuing ties between church and state. The conservative view that social welfare was the responsibility of the privileged inspired passage of much humanitarian legislation, in which English conservatives usually led the way. In the late 19th cent. great conservative statesmen, notably Benjamin Disraeli, exemplified the conservative tendency to resort to moderate reform in order to preserve the foundations of the established order. By the 20th cent. conservatism was being redirected by erstwhile liberal manufacturing and professional groups who had achieved many of their political aims and had become more concerned with preserving them from attack by groups not so favored. Conservatism lost its predominantly agrarian and semifeudal bias, and accepted democratic suffrage, advocated economic laissez-faire, and opposed extension of the welfare state. This form of conservatism, which is best seen in highly industrialized nations, was exemplified by President Reagan in the United States and Prime Minister Thatcher in Great Britain. It has been flexible and receptive to moderate change, favors the maintenance of order on social issues, and actively supports deregulation and privatization in the economic sphere. Conservatism should be distinguished both from a reactionary desire for the past and the radical right-wing ideology of fascism and National Socialism.

Bibliography

In Jungian psychology, a part of the unconscious mind, shared by a society, a people, or all humankind, that is the product of ancestral experience and contains such concepts as science, religion, and morality.
According to Jung’s psychological theory, the inherited aspect of the UNCONSCIOUS that is common to ALL members of the human race. The collective unconscious has evolved over many centuries and contains images (archetypes), which are found in DREAMS and RELIGIOUS and mystical symbols.

hu·bris Audio pronunciation of “hubris” ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hybrs) also hy·bris (h-)
n.

Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance: “There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris” (McGeorge Bundy).

[Greek, excessive pride, wanton violence. See ud- in Indo-European Roots.]hu·bristic (-brstk) adj.
hu·bristic·al·ly adv.

su·per·e·go Audio pronunciation of “superego” ( P ) Pronunciation Key (spr-g, -g)
n. pl. su·per·e·gos

In Freudian theory, the division of the unconscious that is formed through the internalization of moral standards of parents and society, and that censors and restrains the ego.

In psychoanalytic theory, the division of the psyche that censors and restrains the ego and has identified itself unconsciously with important persons from early life. It results from incorporating the values and wishes of these persons into one’s own standards.
n. pl. su·per·e·gos Main Entry: su·per·ego
Pronunciation: “sü-p&r-’E-(”)gO also ’sü-p&r-”, -’eg-(”)O
Function: noun
: the one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that is only partly conscious, represents internalization of parental conscience and the rules of society, and functions to reward and punish through a system of moral attitudes, conscience, and a sense of guilt —compare EGO, ID

e·go
n. pl. e·gos

1. The self, especially as distinct from the world and other selves.
2. In psychoanalysis, the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality.
3.
1. An exaggerated sense of self-importance; conceit.
2. Appropriate pride in oneself; self-esteem.

Something invented, made up, or fabricated: just a figment of the imagination. n : a contrived or fantastic idea; “a figment of the imagination”

1. Distillation or separation of the volatile constituents of a substance.
2. Exclusive mental concentration; absent-mindedness.
3. A malocclusion in which the teeth or associated structures are lower than their normal occlusal plane.
4. The selection of a certain aspect of a concept from the whole. : a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; “he loved her only in the abstract–not in person” [syn: abstract] 2: the act of withdrawing or removing something 3: the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances [syn: generalization, generalisation] 4: an abstract painting 5: preoccupation with something to the exclusion of all else [syn: abstractedness] 6: a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples
1. Generalisation; ignoring or hiding details to capture some
kind of commonality between different instances. Examples are
abstract data types (the representation details are hidden),
abstract syntax (the details of the concrete syntax are
ignored), abstract interpretation (details are ignored to
analyse specific properties).

2.
Parameterisation, making something a function
of something else. Examples are lambda abstractions (making
a term into a function of some variable), higher-order
functions (parameters are functions), bracket abstraction
(making a term into a function of a variable).

Opposite of concretisation.

1. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
2. The followers of such a religion or sect.
2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
1. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
2. The object of such devotion.
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.

Rational
adjective
showing clear thought or reason:
He was too upset to be rational.
a rational course of action/argument/explanation

rationally
adverb
in a way based on reason rather than emotions:
Rationally, he knows that she won’t ever go back to him, but emotionally he can’t accept it.

1. believe- to think that something is true, correct or real:
Strangely, no one believed us when we told them we’d been visited by a creature from Mars.
[+ that] He believes that all children are born with equal intelligence.
[+ speech] She’s arriving tomorrow, I believe.
“Is she coming alone?” “We believe not/so (= We think she is not/is).”
[+ object + to infinitive] I believe her to be the finest violinist in the world.
[+ object + adjective] All the crew are missing, believed dead.

believable ]
adjective
If something is believable, it seems possible, real or true:
I didn’t find any of the characters in the film believable.

believer ]
noun [C]
a person who has a religious belief or has confidence in the benefit of something:
She’s been a believer since she survived a terrible car accident.
Harvey’s a great believer in health food.
I’m a great believer in allowing people to make their own mistakes.

presume (BELIEVE)
verb [T]
to believe something to be true because it is very likely, although you are not certain:
[+ (that)] I presume (that) they’re not coming, since they haven’t replied to the invitation.
[+ speech] You are Dr Smith, I presume?
“Are we walking to the hotel?” “I presume not/so.”
[+ object + adjective] The boat’s captain is missing, presumed dead (= it is believed that he is dead).
In British law, you are presumed innocent until you are proved guilty.
[+ object + to infinitive] The universe is presumed to contain many other planets with some form of life.

presumably
adverb
used to say what you think is the likely situation:
They can presumably afford to buy a bigger apartment.
Presumably he just forgot to send the letter.

presumption
noun [C or U]
when you believe that something is true without having any proof:
The presumption of innocence is central to British law.
There is no scientific evidence to support such presumptions.
[+ that] The decision is based on the presumption that all information must be freely available

bid` dy 1 :-pl.-dies. a chicken; fowl
biddy 2:- pl.-dies. a fussbudget, esp. a fussy old woman

reap 1. to cut with a sickle or other implement or machine, as in harvest. 2. to gather or take . (harvest). 3. to get as a return, recompence, or result; to reap large profits.

In Jungian psychology, a part of the unconscious mind, shared by a society, a people, or all humankind, that is the product of ancestral experience and contains such concepts as science, religion, and morality.
According to Jung’s psychological theory, the inherited aspect of the UNCONSCIOUS that is common to ALL members of the human race. The collective unconscious has evolved over many centuries and contains images (archetypes), which are found in DREAMS and RELIGIOUS and mystical symbols.

hu`bris
hu·bris Audio pronunciation of “hubris” ( P ) Pronunciation Key (hybrs) also hy·bris (h-)
n.

Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance: “There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris” (McGeorge Bundy).

[Greek, excessive pride, wanton violence. See ud- in Indo-European Roots.]hu·bristic (-brstk) adj.
hu·bristic·al·ly adv.

fig·ment
Something invented, made up, or fabricated: just a figment of the imagination. n : a contrived or fantastic idea; “a figment of the imagination”

abstraction
1. Distillation or separation of the volatile constituents of a substance.
2. Exclusive mental concentration; absent-mindedness.
3. A malocclusion in which the teeth or associated structures are lower than their normal occlusal plane.
4. The selection of a certain aspect of a concept from the whole. : a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; “he loved her only in the abstract–not in person” [syn: abstract] 2: the act of withdrawing or removing something 3: the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances [syn: generalization, generalisation] 4: an abstract painting 5: preoccupation with something to the exclusion of all else [syn: abstractedness] 6: a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples
1. Generalisation; ignoring or hiding details to capture some
kind of commonality between different instances. Examples are
abstract data types (the representation details are hidden),
abstract syntax (the details of the concrete syntax are
ignored), abstract interpretation (details are ignored to
analyse specific properties).

2.
Parameterisation, making something a function
of something else. Examples are lambda abstractions (making
a term into a function of some variable), higher-order
functions (parameters are functions), bracket abstraction
(making a term into a function of a variable).

Opposite of concretisation.

CULT
1. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
2. The followers of such a religion or sect.
2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
1. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
2. The object of such devotion.
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.

gang 1. a group or band: a gang of holyrollers 2. a group of persons who gather together for social reasons. 3. a group of personns working together; squad; shift; a gang of crooks 4. a group of persons associated for some criminal or other antisocial purpose; a gang of thieves.

Chris·tian

1. Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. Relating to or derived from Jesus or Jesus’s teachings.
3. Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus; Christlike.
4. Relating to or characteristic of Christianity or its adherents.
5. Showing a loving concern for others; humane.

n.

1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.
adj 1: relating to or characteristic of Christianity; “Christian rites” [syn: Christian] 2: following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ [ant: unchristian] n : a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination [syn: Christian]

Christian
the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers
of Jesus. It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were
known among themselves were “brethren,” “the faithful,” “elect,” “saints,”
“believers.” But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name
“Christian” came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but
three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16).

Manipulate

ma·nip·u·late Audio pronunciation of “manipulate” ( P ) Pronunciation Key (m-npy-lt)
tr.v. ma·nip·u·lat·ed, ma·nip·u·lat·ing, ma·nip·u·lates

1. To move, arrange, operate, or control by the hands or by mechanical means, especially in a skillful manner: She manipulated the lights to get just the effect she wanted.
2. To influence or manage shrewdly or deviously: He manipulated public opinion in his favor.
3. To tamper with or falsify for personal gain: tried to manipulate stock prices.
4. Medicine. To handle and move in an examination or for therapeutic purposes: manipulate a joint; manipulate the position of a fetus during delivery.

ma·nipu·la·bili·ty n.
ma·nipu·lata·ble adj.
ma·nipu·lator n.
ma·nipu·la·tory (-l-t�r, -tr) adj.

Synonyms: manipulate, exploit, maneuver
These verbs mean to influence, manage, use, or control to one’s advantage by artful or indirect means: manipulated me into helping him; exploits natural resources; maneuvered me out of one job and into another. See also synonyms at handlev 1: influence or control shrewdly or deviously; “He manipulated public opinion in his favor” [syn: pull strings, pull wires] 2: hold something in one’s hands and move it 3: fake or falsify; “Fudge the figures”; “cook the books”; “falsify the data” [syn: fudge, fake, falsify, cook, wangle, misrepresent] 4: manipulate in a fraudulent manner; “rig prices” [syn: rig] 5: control (others or oneself) or influence skillfully, usually to one’s advantage; “She manipulates her boss”; “She is a very controlling mother and doesn’t let her children grow up”; “The teacher knew how to keep the class in line”; “she keeps in line” [syn: keep in line, control]
REALITY 0 Edit this post.
Filed on April 22nd, 2005 by alan under USBull Dictionary.

REALITY
1. The state or quality of being real.
2. resemblance to what is real. 3. a real thing or fact. 4. a. something that exists independently of ideas concerning it. b. somthing that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive. 5. in fact or truth; actually.
REALISTIC 1. concerned with or based on what is real or practical: a realistic estimate of costs
2. characterized by or given to the representation in literature or art of things as they really are: a realistic novel.
REALIST 1. a person who tends to view or represent things as they really are. 2. an artist or a writer whose work is characterized by realism.
REALISM
1. interest in or concern for the actual or real, as distinguished from the abstract, speculative, etc.
2. the tendency to view or represent things as they really are.

Holy Roller, Disparaging and Offensive. a member of a Pentecostal sect noted for ecstastic religiosity.–Holy Roll’er-ism.DictionaryHoly Roller
Function: noun
often offensive : a member of one of the Protestant sects whose worship meetings are characterized by spontaneous expressions of emotional excitement.

HERESY

1. An opinion or a doctrine at variance with established religious beliefs, especially dissension from or denial of Roman Catholic dogma by a professed believer or baptized church member.
2. Adherence to such dissenting opinion or doctrine.
2.
1. A controversial or unorthodox opinion or doctrine, as in politics, philosophy, or science.
2. Adherence to such controversial or unorthodox opinion.

[Middle English heresie, from Old French, from Late Latin haeresis, from Late Greek hairesis, from Greek, a choosing, faction, from haireisthai, to choose, middle voice of hairein, to take.]

heresy

n 1: any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox position [syn: unorthodoxy, heterodoxy] [ant: orthodoxy] 2: a belief that rejects the orthodox tenets of a religion [syn: unorthodoxy]

heresy

from a Greek word signifying (1) a choice, (2) the opinion chosen, and (3) the
sect holding the opinion. In the Acts of the Apostles (5:17; 15:5; 24:5, 14;
26:5) it denotes a sect, without reference to its character. Elsewhere,
however, in the New Testament it has a different meaning attached to it. Paul
ranks “heresies” with crimes and seditions (Gal. 5:20). This word also denotes
divisions or schisms in the church (1 Cor. 11:19). In Titus 3:10 a “heretical
person” is one who follows his own self-willed “questions,” and who is to be
avoided. Heresies thus came to signify self-chosen doctrines not emanating from
God (2 Pet. 2:1).
pre·tend Audio pronunciation of “pretend” ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pr-tnd)
v. pre·tend·ed, pre·tend·ing, pre·tends
v. tr
.
PRETEND
1. To give a false appearance of; feign: “You had to pretend conformity while privately pursuing high and dangerous nonconformism” (Anthony Burgess).
2. To claim or allege insincerely or falsely; profess: doesn’t pretend to be an expert.
3. To represent fictitiously in play; make believe: pretended they were on a cruise.
4. To take upon oneself; venture: I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong.

v. intr.

1. To feign an action or character, as in play.
2. To put forward a claim.
3. To make pretensions: pretends to gourmet tastes.

adj. Informal

Imitation; make-believe: pretend money; pretend pearls.

PORTEND
tr.v. por·tend·ed, por·tend·ing, por·tends

1. To serve as an omen or a warning of; presage: black clouds that portend a storm.
2. To indicate by prediction; forecast: leading economic indicators that portend a recession.

[Middle English portenden, from Latin portendere. See ten- in Indo-European Roots.]

Portend

v : indicate by signs; “These signs bode bad news” [syn: bode, auspicate, prognosticate, omen, presage, betoken, foreshadow, augur, foretell, prefigure, forecast, predict]

re·li·gion Religion

1. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
2. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.