separation of church and state

noun phrase

: the act or state of keeping government and religion separate from each other

Examples of separation of church and state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Universities and state education policies dominated in 2024 with a tumultuous year that saw massive protests over the Israel-Hamas war and lawsuits over the separation of church and state in public schools. Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 1 Jan. 2025 From his perspective, separation of church and state means the state should not interfere in the church — not the other way around. Maura Fox, The Mercury News, 16 Dec. 2024 The Texas American Federation of Teachers -- a union representing more than 60,000 school employees -- said the curriculum violates the separation of church and state and is not inclusive of all students. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2024 Where else have Ten Commandments displays been disputed? Ohio, 2019: A middle school in New Philadelphia removed a 1920s-era plaque that contained the Ten Commandments after objections from the Freedom From Religion Foundation on grounds of separation of church and state in 2019. George Petras, USA TODAY, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for separation of church and state 

Dictionary Entries Near separation of church and state

Cite this Entry

“Separation of church and state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separation%20of%20church%20and%20state. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.

Legal Definition

separation of church and state

: the separation of religion and government mandated under the establishment clause and the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution that forbids governmental establishment or preference of a religion and that preserves religious freedom from governmental intrusion
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