as in temporal
not involving religion or religious matters
that's an issue for the secular authorities, not the church
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Recent Examples of secular
Annie Laurie Gaylor, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025
On becoming archbishop of Canterbury, Becket resigned his secular office and opposed the efforts of King Henry II to bring the church under royal control.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2023
These data imply to me that the secular are getting idiocratic faster than the fundamentalists.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2012
See all Example Sentences for secular 
Adjective
Americans who treasure what has truly made our country great — a secular Constitution that keeps religion out of our laws and social policies — must speak up to safeguard democracy for ourselves and future generations.
—Annie Laurie Gaylor, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025
On becoming archbishop of Canterbury, Becket resigned his secular office and opposed the efforts of King Henry II to bring the church under royal control.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
There was a change of heart among the secular nationalists during the second intifada—which started in 2000 and ended in 2005—in which seculars also joined forces.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2023
These data imply to me that the secular are getting idiocratic faster than the fundamentalists.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2012
See all Example Sentences for secular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secular
Adjective
-
Great vacations exist in a temporal netherworld, unmoored from the reality of daily life.—
Sofia Perez,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The Apocalypse was a way out, a temporal doorway to God and Heaven.—
Arthur Krystal,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In layman’s terms, Trump is keeping foreign leaders on their toes.—
Christian Datoc,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
25 Jan. 2025
-
His seductive and affable manner of describing the essence of a budding romance in layman’s terms is inviting.—
Priscella Vega,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Whereas The Prince of Egypt was a sweeping, lavishly animated epic that could elicit a spiritual response from even nonreligious viewers with its grandeur, Joseph feels very much like Sunday school bonus content.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2025
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But nonreligious ideologies generally yield less durable relationships.—
Christopher Blair,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Oct. 2020
Noun
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For the layperson, tell me what remastering does, and will people notice a difference in this new version?—
Katherine Turman,
SPIN,
3 Feb. 2025
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The forms are deceptively simple — a designer will spot the genius in them, but a layperson may not understand why pedestrian objects like a toaster, egg cup or sink may merit inclusion in a museum show.—
Rima Suqi,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to secular
Thesaurus Entries Near secular
Cite this Entry
“Secular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secular. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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