secularization

American  

[sek-yuh-luh-rahy-zey-shuhn] / ˌsɛk yə lə raɪˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. separation from religious or spiritual connection or influences.

   The secularization of America can be seen in politics, legal decisions, and educational institutions, as well as in the arts and the media.

2. the transfer of property from ecclesiastical to civil possession or use.

   There continues to be a debate about the secularization of religious art objects now exhibited in museum settings.

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Other Word Forms

• oversecularization noun

Etymology

Origin of secularization

seculariz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

In the latter regard, the authors make the surprising assertion that “if we view secularization as the process of prioritizing political considerations over religious worldviews, then HTS was secularizing.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025

It is difficult to overstate how significant the double-whammy of secularization and the second law were.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2023

The problem, as he sees it, is the secularization of society.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2023

Inglehart said this process of secularization has many causes, mostly relating to the decline of group norms of mechanisms of control and the rise of individualism.

From Washington Post • May 5, 2022

He was opposed with extreme violence by all the Conservative parties, who regarded the secularization of the schools as a persecution of religion.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various