secular

[ sek-yuh-ler ]

adjective

1. of or relating to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal:

   secular interests.

2. not pertaining to or connected with religion ( sacred ):

   secular music.

3. (of education, a school, etc.) concerned with nonreligious subjects.
4. (of members of the clergy) not belonging to a religious order; not bound by monastic vows ( regular ).
5. occurring or celebrated once in an age or century:

   the secular games of Rome.

6. going on from age to age; continuing through long ages.

noun

1. a layperson.
2. one of the secular clergy.

secular

/ ˈsɛkjʊlə /

adjective

1. of or relating to worldly as opposed to sacred things; temporal
2. not concerned with or related to religion
3. not within the control of the Church
4. of an education, etc
   1. having no particular religious affinities
   2. not including compulsory religious studies or services
5. (of clerics) not bound by religious vows to a monastic or other order
6. occurring or appearing once in an age or century
7. lasting for a long time
8. astronomy occurring slowly over a long period of time

   the secular perturbation of a planet's orbit

noun

1. a member of the secular clergy
2. another word for layman

secular

1. Not concerned with religion or religious matters. Secular is the opposite of sacred .

Notes

Secularization refers to the declining influence of religion and religious values within a given culture . Secular humanismmeans, loosely, a belief in human self-sufficiency.

Derived Forms

• ˈsecularly, adverb

Other Words From

• secu·lar·ly adverb
• non·secu·lar adjective
• pre·secu·lar adjective
• super·secu·lar adjective
• super·secu·lar·ly adverb
• un·secu·lar adjective
• un·secu·lar·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of secular¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Medieval Latin sēculāris, Late Latin saeculāris “worldly, temporal (opposed to eternal),” Latin: “of an age,” equivalent to Latin saecul(um) “long period, age” + -āris -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of secular¹

C13: from Old French seculer, from Late Latin saeculāris temporal, from Latin: concerning an age, from saeculum an age

Example Sentences

As the United States has become more progressive and secular — at the same time congregations are shrinking and aging — Christians have lost much of their cultural power, leaving many to feel under assault, Hankins said.

From Los Angeles Times

“As an interfaith family, we expect our children to receive their secular education in public school and their religious education at home and within our faith communities, not from government officials.”

From Salon

In Rome in the 1960s, the Vatican loomed large over the city, its streets intermingling with the secular neighborhoods around it.

From Los Angeles Times

The political outlook of Black American liberals generally synthesized secular political principles and Christian spiritual and moral teachings.

From Salon

MSG is a secular temple of spectacle, a place of symbolic largess that sticks to all who play there; 3.

From Salon

Related Words

• civil
• materialistic
• worldly