Secular

['sekjʊlə] or ['sɛkjəlɚ]

Definition

(adj.) of or relating to clergy not bound by monastic vows; 'the secular clergy' .

(adj.) of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations .

Typist: Ludwig--From WordNet

Definition

(a.) Coming or observed once in an age or a century.

(a.) Pertaining to an age, or the progress of ages, or to a long period of time; accomplished in a long progress of time; as, secular inequality; the secular refrigeration of the globe.

(a.) Of or pertaining to this present world, or to things not spiritual or holy; relating to temporal as distinguished from eternal interests; not immediately or primarily respecting the soul, but the body; worldly.

(a.) Not regular; not bound by monastic vows or rules; not confined to a monastery, or subject to the rules of a religious community; as, a secular priest.

(a.) Belonging to the laity; lay; not clerical.

(n.) A secular ecclesiastic, or one not bound by monastic rules.

(n.) A church official whose functions are confined to the vocal department of the choir.

(n.) A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman.

Checked by Debs

Synonyms and Synonymous

a. Temporal, worldly, civil, profane, lay, not spiritual.

Editor: Whitney

Synonyms and Antonyms

SYN:Worldly, profane, civil, unmonastic, temporal, laic

ANT:Regular, religious, monastic, spiritual, clerical

Typist: Nola

Definition

adj. pertaining to an age or generation: coming or observed only once in a century: permanent: lay or civil as opposed to clerical: (geol.) gradually becoming appreciable in the course of ages: pertaining to the present world or to things not spiritual: not bound by monastic rules.—n. a layman: an ecclesiastic as a parish priest not bound by monastic rules.—n. Secularisa′tion the state of being secularised.—v.t. Sec′ularise to make secular: to convert from spiritual to common use.—ns. Sec′ularism; Sec′ularist one who discarding religious belief and worship applies himself exclusively to the things of this life: one who holds that education should be apart from religion; Secular′ity state of being secular or worldly: worldliness.—adv. Sec′ularly.—n. Sec′ularness.

Edited by Cecilia