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
Thomas Tweed, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
The other tailwind is an infrastructure megatrend - there is secular demand for energy-efficient HVAC systems within commercial, industrial, and residential buildings.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2023
His selection of works, for example, mixed the sacred with the secular, interspersing chorale preludes (which use Lutheran hymns as their point of departure) with the six trio sonatas for organ.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for secular
Adjective
Some say the country is a secular republic founded on 18th-century conceptions of human reason and natural law.
—Thomas Tweed, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
The other tailwind is an infrastructure megatrend - there is secular demand for energy-efficient HVAC systems within commercial, industrial, and residential buildings.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
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
His selection of works, for example, mixed the sacred with the secular, interspersing chorale preludes (which use Lutheran hymns as their point of departure) with the six trio sonatas for organ.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for secular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secular
Adjective
-
The first is their temporal nature—they are specifically designed for live and unfolding events, and their modality reflects this liveness.—
Daniel Jackson,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Her formidable, untitled 2026 sphinx regally commands its space among ancient Egyptian and Roman sculpture, a marvel of the cross-temporal and cross-spatial, spiked with specific references to Black self-determination.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some prominent conservative Catholic laymen, like Fox News host Sean Hannity, have risen to Trump’s defense.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
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The pipeline will provide up to 185,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas, an industry term that Fore admitted was difficult to explain for laymen.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Florida statutes creating the charter school framework also require those schools to be nonreligious.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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Republicans vow to appeal Arkansas ruling Last year, seven Arkansas families of various religious and nonreligious backgrounds filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s new law requiring all public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom and library.—
Sara Cline,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Driver and scientific studies say the benefits are real, but what about the layperson?—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
2 Mar. 2026
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Moreover, the dashboard itself is very difficult for parents and other laypersons to understand.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secular. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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