adjective
secular
SEK-yuh-ler/ˈsekjələr/
Not religious or controlled by religious institutions.
The library's secular lesson explores geography and astronomy through a globe and book.
Etymology
An 'age' or 'lifetime' came to represent life in this world. Secular thus shifted from belonging to an age to concerning earthly affairs rather than spiritual or religious ones.
In context
Right. They would hand the person over to the secular, the non-religious government officials.
More examples
- Their wedding ceremony is entirely secular.
- The constitution establishes a secular government independent of religious institutions.
- The choir performs both religious and secular music.
Forms
secular
secularism noun — The principle of separating religion from government.
secularize verb — To remove religious influence or control.
Similar words
- nonreligious
- Describes an absence of religious content, belief, or practice.
- worldly
- Emphasizes earthly concerns, sometimes suggesting materialism rather than religious neutrality.