secular

The word “secular” means not connected to religion; concerned with worldly rather than spiritual matters. In plain terms, non-religious — dealing with everyday, worldly life rather than church or faith.

“Secular” is pronounced SEHK-yuu-luh (/ˈsɛkjələɹ/ in IPA).

Here is “secular” used in a sentence: “The country has a secular constitution that separates church and state.”

Words with a similar meaning to “secular” include areligious, civil, earthly, irreligious, laicist and laicistic.

The opposite of “secular” — its antonyms — are eternal, everlasting, frequent, unpredictable and non-recurring.

“Secular” is an adjective.

The word “secular” comes from Latin. From Latin saecularis, "of an age or generation," from saeculum ("age, generation"). The Church originally used it to mean "of this present world," as opposed to eternal or spiritual matters.

“Secular” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.

"Secular" describes something not connected to religion or kept separate from it, such as a secular school or government, while "atheist" describes a person who does not believe in any god. A secular institution can include religious people; it simply does not base its actions on religion.

"Secular" and "religious" are opposites: "secular" concerns worldly matters and stays separate from faith, while "religious" relates directly to religion, belief, and worship. A wedding, for example, can be either secular, meaning civil, or religious, meaning held in a place of worship.

In a church context, a "secular" priest is one who lives and works among ordinary people in the community rather than withdrawing into a monastery under monastic vows. This contrasts with "regular" clergy, such as monks, who live under the rule of a religious order.