Bible Belt

noun

1. an area of the U.S., chiefly in the South and Midwest, noted for its religious fundamentalism.

Bible Belt

noun

1. those states of the S US where Protestant fundamentalism is dominant

Bible Belt

1. An area of the United States, including the South and parts of the Middle West, where fervent Protestant fundamentalism is strong. (See Scopes trial.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bible Belt¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Idioms and Phrases

An area noted for religious fundamentalism; specifically, parts of the American South and Midwest. For example, You wouldn't dare try to sell a sex manual in the Bible belt. This term alludes to the prevalence of evangelical revivals, strict morals, belief in the literal truth of the Bible, and similar traits. [c. 1920]

Example Sentences

Most days, in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Bible Belt, the old sanctuary at Christ Lutheran Church sits empty.

From Salon

"North Africa was the Bible Belt of ancient Christianity," says Prof Christopher Bellitto, a historian at Kean University in the US.

From BBC

Mark was from the Bible Belt; my parents were Holocaust survivors.

From Los Angeles Times

As fans will know by now, Roan was born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz and raised in the Bible Belt town of Willard, Missouri.

From BBC

But Boyd faces an uphill battle in Louisiana, a reliably red state firmly ensconced in the Bible Belt, where even some Democrats oppose abortions.

From Seattle Times