secular
SEK-yoo-ler
/ˈsɛkjʊlər/
Denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
Refers neutrally to non-religious institutions, music, or civic laws without necessarily implying hostility toward religion.
The story behind the word. The word traces back to Latin saeculum, meaning a generation or a century. Late Latin Christian writers used saecularis to distinguish earthly life ('this present age') from God's eternal realm. By Late Middle English, it entered English to describe clergy who lived out in the world rather than under monastic vows.
Word relationships
- worldly: 'Worldly' often carries a connotation of being concerned with material gain or sophistication, whereas 'secular' strictly means non-religious.
- civil: 'Civil' pertains to citizens and government affairs, which may or may not explicitly exclude religious elements.
- religious: 'Religious' indicates explicit devotion to or connection with a faith system.
- sacred: 'Sacred' implies connection to the divine, whereas secular pertains entirely to earthly affairs.
Commonly confused with
- temporal: 'Secular' contrasts with religious domain; 'temporal' contrasts specifically with eternal or spiritual time.
Word family
- secularly (adverb): In a secular manner.
- secularize (verb): To convert from religious to secular use or ownership.
Collocations
- secular society
- secular state
- secular education
- secular authority
Example sentences
- "The constitution established a secular government that guarantees religious freedom for all citizens." Political Governance
- "In A Secular Age, Charles Taylor examines how western society moved from believing in God implicitly to treating belief as one option among many." Sociological Analysis (Charles Taylor, A Secular Age)
Memory hook
SECULAR sounds like 'second era'—focusing on our current era on earth rather than eternity. Earthly age, not heavenly space.
When not to use
Do not use to describe something sinful or sacrilegious; use 'profane' or 'impious' for active disrespect.
Fun facts
- In medieval Catholic canon law, a 'secular priest' was a priest who served a town parish rather than living isolated in a monastery.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.