A survey by the Pew Research Center indicates America's support for marriage equality is tapering off after several years of dramatic gains in acceptance.

Released Monday, a new poll found a 5% drop—from 54% to 49%—in Americans who want legal recognition for same-sex relationships since February. The percentage of those against same-sex marriage rose during that same period, from 39% to 41%.

"Since we've seen this upward trend for so long, we're cautious because it's too early to say what this means for long-term trends," says researcher Jessica Martinez. "As we continue to ask this question in other surveys, we'll keep an eye on where this moves."

The poll of 2,002 adults, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5%, also determined that the percentage of people who consider gay relationships sinful had increased from 45% in 2013 to 50% in August.

Nearly half of all the respondents said businesses that provide services for weddings, such as florists, should be allowed to deny service to same-sex couples if the owners have religious objections.

Support for gay marriage first rose above the 50 percent mark in its surveys in 2011, and has remained there ever since. A Gallup poll from May found acceptance for same-sex marriage at 55%, a record high. But it also confirmed that  support was increasing by smaller increments than in the past.