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

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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

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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

“That should affect the multiple in a positive way, as memory has moved from a cyclical trade to a secular trade,” he told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

A secular trade has a longer duration than a cyclical one and is based on fundamental shifts, such as in technology with the rise of AI.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

The head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics will start his trip in Uruguay, Latin America's most secular country, where he will be welcomed by left-wing President Yamandu Orsi.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

“I thought secular stagnation would be, if not secular, at least longer-lasting than it turned out to be.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

The pervading atmosphere of sorrowfulness in much of Josquin’s music, whether applied to sacred music or secular songs of unhappy love, is typical of his strife-filled time.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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Related Words

• civil
• materialistic
• worldly

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