secular
gb/sˈɛkjəlɚ/ us/sˈɛkjəlɚ/
B2
English
~ 8600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
not related to religion
Not related to religion or the church, especially when talking about public life, schools, or government.
Usage pattern:
secular [institution/activity/state]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'secular' means 'against religion', but it usually just means 'not connected with religion' or 'neutral about religion'. It is also sometimes confused with 'sacred', which actually has the opposite meaning.
Synonyms
nonreligious (More straightforward and slightly less formal; directly states that religion is not involved.)
|
lay (Often used in contrast with clergy or experts; overlaps but is less about institutions and more about status.)
Antonyms
religious (Describes people, activities, or things that are based on or connected with religion.)
|
sacred (Emphasizes that something is holy or used for religious worship, the opposite of ordinary or secular use.)
Collocations
secular society
|secular state
|secular education
|secular government
|secular culture
|secular law
Themes
religion
|society
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many countries have a secular constitution that keeps religion separate from the legal system.
- The school offers a secular curriculum with no formal religious instruction.
- He prefers to keep his work life entirely secular, without any religious symbols or practices in the office.
- In a secular society, religious groups have influence but do not control the state.
- There is ongoing debate over whether public holidays should be religious or secular.
Learner examples
- Canada is mostly a secular country.
- The government in this country is secular, not religious.
- My children go to a secular school with no prayer time.
- The new law is based on secular ideas, not on any holy book.
- They want a secular holiday that everyone can enjoy.
adjective
B2
property
2
not personally religious
Describes people or groups who do not believe in or practice a religion, or do so very little.
Usage pattern:
secular [person/family/society]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'secular' with 'atheist'. 'Secular' can describe people who simply do not practice religion in daily life, but they may still believe in God or have some religious identity.
Synonyms
nonreligious (Very close in meaning; focuses clearly on the lack of religious belief or practice.)
|
agnostic (More specific; usually means someone is unsure whether God exists, not just that they live a secular life.)
Antonyms
devout (Stresses strong personal religious belief and practice, the opposite of a secular person or lifestyle.)
|
pious (Formal; emphasizes being deeply religious and showing it in behavior.)
Collocations
secular family
|secular lifestyle
|largely secular society
|increasingly secular
|secular values
|secular worldview
Themes
religion
|society
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Although she grew up in a religious home, she now lives a largely secular life.
- The country has become more secular over the past few decades, with fewer people attending religious services.
- His parents are secular, but they still celebrate some religious holidays as cultural traditions.
- Young people in the city tend to be more secular than those in rural areas.
- They chose a secular ceremony for their wedding instead of a church service.
Learner examples
- My family is secular, so we do not go to church.
- He says he is secular, but he respects all religions.
- Many young people in this city are secular now.
- They wanted a secular wedding without a priest.
- In that country, the new generation is more secular than their grandparents.
adjective
formal
C1
property
3
civil, not church-related
Connected with the state or normal law, not with the church or religious leaders.
Usage pattern:
secular [authority/court/power]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'secular' when 'civil' is more natural in legal writing. Also, they may not realize this sense is about official power and law, not just about personal belief.
Synonyms
civil (Widely used in law and politics; emphasizes non-military, non-religious public authority.)
Antonyms
ecclesiastical (Formal; refers specifically to the church or its officials, the opposite of secular authority.)
Collocations
secular authorities
|secular court
|secular law
|secular power
|secular ruler
|secular office
Themes
politics
|law
|religion
Examples
- The dispute was ultimately settled by the secular courts, not by church leaders.
- During the Middle Ages, secular rulers often fought with the pope over political power.
- Under the new constitution, all secular authority is clearly separated from religious institutions.
- He argued that secular law should always override religious rules in public matters.
- Some countries still give religious courts power alongside secular courts.
Learner examples
- The case went to a secular court, not a religious one.
- In this country, secular law is higher than church law.
- The king had both religious and secular power.
- Today, secular authority is separate from church authority.
- He works for the secular government, not for the church.
adjective
technical
C1
property
4
long-term, beyond short cycles
Describes a slow change that happens over many years and is not just a normal short-term up-and-down movement.
Usage pattern:
secular [trend/change/stagnation]
Common mistake:
Learners often think this sense of 'secular' is related to religion, but in economics and science it usually means 'long-term, not part of a regular cycle'. It should not be used to mean simply 'frequent' or 'modern'.
Synonyms
long-term (More general and less technical; does not always imply being independent of cycles, just lasting a long time.)
Antonyms
cyclical (Describes movements that go up and down in regular cycles, the opposite of a secular trend that goes in one direction over the long term.)
Collocations
secular trend
|secular stagnation
|secular growth
|secular decline
|secular change
|secular shift
Themes
economics
|science
|statistics
|finance
Examples
- Economists worry that the country may be facing secular stagnation rather than a temporary slowdown.
- There has been a secular decline in newspaper readership over the past few decades.
- Climate scientists distinguish between short-term weather variations and secular trends in global temperature.
- The company has benefited from a secular shift toward online shopping.
- Demographers study the secular trend toward smaller family sizes in developed countries.
Learner examples
- There is a secular trend of more people living in cities.
- We must look at secular changes, not just this year’s data.
- Some economists say the low interest rates are a secular problem.
- The secular growth of the internet has changed many jobs.
- This is not a normal cycle; it is a secular decline.
adjective
formal
C2
property
5
clergy not in religious order
In the Christian church, describes priests who work in normal churches and communities and are not monks or members of a special religious group.
Usage pattern:
secular [clergy/priest]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'secular priest' means a priest who is not religious. In church language, it means a priest who does not belong to a monastic or religious order, not that he lacks faith.
Synonyms
diocesan (priest) (Specialized; used mainly inside the Catholic Church to describe priests who serve a diocese rather than a religious order.)
Antonyms
religious (order) (Refers to monks, nuns, and others who belong to a religious order and live under its rules, not to secular clergy.)
Collocations
secular clergy
|secular priest
|secular canons
|secular chapter
Themes
religion
Examples
- The bishop assigned several secular priests to serve the growing suburban parishes.
- Historically, there was tension between monastic orders and the secular clergy.
- He decided to become a secular priest rather than join a religious order.
- The cathedral chapter was made up of secular canons who lived in the town.
- Reforms were introduced to improve the education of the secular clergy.
Learner examples
- He is a secular priest, not a monk.
- The church has both secular clergy and monks.
- In that time, secular priests worked in normal parishes.
- Some secular clergy lived in the city and served many people.
- She studies the history of secular clergy in Europe.
Noun
formal
C2
entity
6
person who is not clergy
Someone who is not a priest, monk, or nun, especially in the Christian church.
Usage pattern:
a secular [in/within the church]
Common mistake:
Learners rarely use this noun and may confuse it with the general adjective 'secular'. In modern English, 'layperson' is usually a better and clearer choice.
Synonyms
layperson (More common modern term; clearly means someone who is not a member of the clergy or a specialist.)
Antonyms
clergyman (Refers directly to a male member of the clergy, the opposite of a secular in this context.)
Collocations
a secular among clergy
|seculars and clergy
|monks and seculars
Themes
religion
|history
Examples
- In the medieval university, both clerics and seculars studied side by side.
- The council included bishops, abbots, and several influential seculars.
- As a secular, he could not vote in certain church assemblies.
- The monastery hired a secular to manage its lands and finances.
- Some seculars later chose to enter religious life as monks or friars.
Learner examples
- He was a secular, not a priest.
- Many seculars worked for the church in the past.
- The book talks about both monks and seculars.
- A secular could help the church but was not in the clergy.
- Some seculars later became monks.
Grammar
Dictionary form
secular
IPA
GB/sˈɛkjəlɚ/
US/sˈɛkjəlɚ/
Syllables & stress
sec - u - lar (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sec)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: secular
Word family
Expressions
secular education
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ ˌɛd͡ʒəkˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
education without religious teaching
Schooling where religion is not taught as truth and is not a main part of the lessons or school rules.
Examples
- Public schools in that country provide secular education for all children.
- Some parents prefer religious schools, while others choose secular education.
- The reform aimed to create a modern, secular education system.
secular government
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ ɡˈʌvɚnmənt/
fixed phrase
government separate from religion
A government that makes laws and decisions without using religious rules and does not act as a religious authority.
Examples
- They want a secular government that represents citizens of all faiths and none.
- Under the new regime, a secular government replaced the old religious council.
- A truly secular government does not use any holy book as its source of law.
secular holiday
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ hˈɑlɪdˌeɪ/
fixed phrase
nonreligious public holiday
A holiday that is not created by a religion but by a country or society, often to remember a national event or person.
Examples
- Independence Day is a secular holiday, not a religious one.
- Some people celebrate both religious and secular holidays with their families.
- The government added a new secular holiday to mark the end of the war.
secular humanism
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ hjˈumənˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
nonreligious human-centered worldview
A way of thinking that focuses on human reason, science, and human needs instead of religion to decide what is right and meaningful.
Examples
- He describes his beliefs as a form of secular humanism.
- Critics accuse the curriculum of promoting secular humanism over traditional religion.
- The organization promotes secular humanism and the separation of church and state.
secular music
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ mjˈuzɪk/
fixed phrase
nonreligious music
Music that is not written for church or other religious ceremonies, but for normal life, art, or entertainment.
Examples
- The choir performs both sacred and secular music.
- In the Renaissance, composers began writing more secular music for courts and cities.
- She prefers secular music to hymns and other church songs.
secular society
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ səsˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
society with weak religious influence
A society where most public life, laws, and institutions are not controlled by religion, and many people are not very religious.
Examples
- In a secular society, religious beliefs are usually treated as private matters.
- Many European countries today are considered largely secular societies.
- They are debating what it means to live in a truly secular society.
secular state
1/sˈɛkjəlɚ stˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
state neutral on religion
A country whose government does not officially support or reject any religion and keeps religion separate from state power.
Examples
- The constitution defines the country as a secular state with freedom of religion.
- Activists are calling for a secular state where no religion is given special rights.
- India is officially a secular state, even though religion is very important in society.