secular

American  

[sek-yuh-ler] / ˈsɛk jə lər /

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 (opposed to 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 (opposed to 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.

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noun

1. a layperson.

2. one of the secular clergy.

secular British  

/ 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. 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

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noun

1. a member of the secular clergy

2. another word for layman

secular Cultural  

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

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Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

• nonsecular
  adjective
• presecular
  adjective
• supersecular
  adjective
• unsecular
  adjective
• secularly
  adverb
• supersecularly
  adverb
• unsecularly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of secular

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

Explanation

Secular things are not religious. Anything not affiliated with a church or faith can be called secular. Non-religious people can be called atheists or agnostics, but to describe things, activities, or attitudes that have nothing to do with religion, you can use the word secular. Public schools are secular, but Catholic schools are not. Grocery stores are secular; a synagogue is not. If there's no religion involved, then you're in "the secular world" — as people sometimes call everything that exists outside of religion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

secular

Aya Lewkowicz, a member of the Pink Front activist movement who came from overwhelmingly secular Tel Aviv to help protect the Jerusalem cafe, said Israelis should choose for themselves how to observe Shabbat.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

CEO Michael Hurlston said in a statement that Lumentum is positioned “at the heart of a secular industry shift.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

The report, due in the autumn, examines the experiences of Jewish pupils and staff in faith and secular schools and colleges in England.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Nora resides among an assortment of odd-duck tenants, feeding daily breakfast to a punctual seagull she names Father Conway and finding secular outlets for her abiding curiosity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Of course, the new laws thrilled the country's religious citizens, but my mostly secular family wasn't having it.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• civil
• materialistic
• worldly