secular
/ˈsekjələ(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsekjələr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈse-kyə-lər/ (ame, mw)
secular — adjective
- secularpositive
- more secularcomparative
- most secularsuperlative
1. relating to activities, institutions, or ways of thinking that have no connectio
relating to activities, institutions, or ways of thinking that have no connection with any church, faith, or spiritual belief system — for example, a school that does not teach religion or a government that does not follow religious rules.
Ritu's school is a secular institution that teaches science without any religious viewpoint.
collocation: secular institution
The charity provides help to homeless people and keeps a strictly secular approach.
collocation: strictly secular
In a secular state, the government does not support any particular religion over others.
Kwame enjoys listening to both religious songs and secular pop music.
The debate about whether art should be secular or spiritual has lasted for centuries.
- non-religious
more direct and informal; used for people or activities that simply lack religion
- worldly
suggests a focus on material life rather than spiritual matters; slightly negative tone in religious contexts
- temporal
refers to worldly time-bound matters as opposed to eternal spiritual ones; more formal and philosophical
文法句型
secular + noun
be + secular
用法筆記
Commonly appears before nouns describing institutions (schools, governments, charities) to indicate they operate without religious control. The opposite is 'religious' or 'sacred'.
常見錯誤
2. describing a Christian priest who serves a local church and lives in the general
describing a Christian priest who serves a local church and lives in the general community, rather than belonging to a religious order that requires living inside a monastery.
Father Otis is a secular priest who lives in an apartment rather than a monastery.
collocation: secular priest
The cathedral has both secular clergy and monks who work together in the community.
collocation: secular clergy
Eitan, a secular priest serving a parish in São Paulo, married Clara last December at the cathedral.
The bishop appointed three new secular priests to serve parishes across the region.
文法句型
secular + noun (priest, clergy, etc.)
用法筆記
This sense applies only to Christian clergy. The opposite is 'regular' (meaning bound by monastic rules). Do not confuse with sense 1 — this is a specialized religious term, not about the absence of religion.
常見錯誤
secular — noun
1. a priest who serves a specific local church or diocese and lives among ordinary
a priest who serves a specific local church or diocese and lives among ordinary people, as opposed to one who lives in a monastery under the strict rules of a religious order.
The bishop met with the seculars of the diocese to discuss local needs.
plural: the seculars
While a monk prays inside the monastery, a secular spends most of his time visiting the sick.
contrast with monk
Many seculars in the Catholic Church run schools and help poor communities.
After thirty years as a secular, Father Anthony retired from parish work.
- diocesan priest
more common modern term; emphasizes the connection to a geographical diocese rather than lifestyle
- parish priest
focuses on the role of running a local church
文法句型
a + secular
the + seculars (plural)
用法筆記
Used mainly in Catholic and Anglican contexts. The plural form 'seculars' refers collectively to secular clergy as a group. Compare with 'regular' (a monk living under a monastic rule).
2. a person regarded as being outside the clergy or outside a particular profession
a person regarded as being outside the clergy or outside a particular profession — used especially in religious settings to distinguish non-ordained people from ordained leaders, or in workplace settings to separate non-experts from specialists.
The church council includes three clergy members and two seculars from the local community.
contrast: clergy and seculars
As a secular, Nadia had no formal training in theology, but she taught the class anyway.
The hospital invited both medical experts and seculars to join the ethics committee.
When the church needed help managing the building budget, they turned to a secular with experience in finance.
- layperson
the standard modern term; used in both religious and general contexts
- layman
same as layperson but gender-specific; still common but becoming less frequent
- non-professional
broader term used outside religious contexts for someone without specialized training
- clergyman
an ordained religious leader
- professional
someone with specialized training in a field
文法句型
a + secular
clergy and seculars
用法筆記
In modern English, 'layperson' or 'layman' is far more common than 'secular' used as a noun in this sense. The noun 'secular' for 'layperson' appears mainly in historical or formal church documents.