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

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin had the audacity to blame the Uvalde shootings on the "secularization of society" and the "loss of faith."

From Salon

In 1984, the two countries updated the agreement to better reflect the secularization of Italy and the end of Catholicism as the state’s official religion.

From New York Times

It says that polls showing the growing secularization of America’s youth, and that surveys showing the failure of today’s believers to attend church, aren’t just skewed polls or surveys, but growing truths.

From Washington Times

Until recently, the U.S. was largely unaffected by the increasing secularization of many European countries, but that started to change dramatically at the turn of the 21st century.

From Salon

A: There are a lot of Christians who say that hasn’t disappeared, and American evangelicalism stands in the tradition of the prophets by decrying the secularization of the country and the liberalism of the country.

From Washington Post