Lexic.us

Definition of Secular

1. Noun. Someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person.

2. Adjective. Of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations.

3. Adjective. Characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world. "Temporal possessions of the church"

4. Adjective. Not concerned with or devoted to religion. "Children being brought up in an entirely profane environment"

5. Adjective. Of or relating to clergy not bound by monastic vows. "The secular clergy"

6. Adjective. Characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy. "The lay ministry"

Definition of Secular

1. a. Coming or observed once in an age or a century.

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

Definition of Secular

1. Adjective. Not specifically religious. ¹

2. Adjective. Temporal; something that is worldly or otherwise not based on something timeless. ¹

3. Adjective. (Christianity) Not bound by the vows of a monastic order. ¹

4. Adjective. Happening once in an age or century. ¹

5. Adjective. Continuing over a long period of time, long-term. ¹

6. Adjective. (astrophysics) Of or pertaining to long-term non-periodic irregularities, especially in planetary motion. ¹

7. Adjective. (context: atomic physics) Unperturbed over time. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Secular

1. a layman [n -S] - See also: layman

Medical Definition of Secular

1. 1. A secular ecclesiastic, or one not bound by monastic rules. 2. A church official whose functions are confined to the vocal department of the choir. 3. A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman. 1. Coming or observed once in an age or a century. "The secular year was kept but once a century." (Addison) 2. 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. 3. 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. "New foes arise, Threatening to bind our souls with secular chains." (Milton) 4. 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. "He tried to enforce a stricter discipline and greater regard for morals, both in the religious orders and the secular clergy." (Prescett) 5. Belonging to the laity; lay; not clerical. "I speak of folk in secular estate. " (Chaucer) Secular equation, games celebrated, at long but irregular intervals, for three days and nights, with sacrifices, theatrical shows, combats, sports, and the like. Secular music, any music or songs not adapted to sacred uses. Secular hymn or poem, a hymn or poem composed for the secular games, or sung or rehearsed at those games. Origin: OE. Secular, seculer. L. Saecularis, fr. Saeculum a race, generation, age, the times, the world; perhaps akin to E. Soul: cf. F. Seculier. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Secular

sector scan sectoral sectorally sectoranopia sectored sectorial sectorials sectoring sectorings sectorized

sectors sects secuer secuerity secuers secular (current term) secular Jew secular Jews secular equilibrium secular games

secular humanism secular progressivism secularisation secularise secularised secularises secularising secularism secularisms secularist

Literary usage of Secular

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Publications by Oxford Historical Society (1885)
"On the other hand, it is quite possible that the nuns had left and that the lands of the nunnery had been transferred to some ' secular canons,' and that ..."

2. Philosophy of History by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, John Sibree (1902)
"All that is secular is consequently given over to rudeness and capricious violence. The Mohammedan principle—the enlightenment of the Oriental World—is the ..."

3. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann (1913)
"In general, the spheres of spiritual and secular authority, the rights of ... The Renaissance introduced a new and secular element into intellectual life; ..."

4. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon, John Bagnell Bury (1897)
"When the popish jubilees, the copy of the secular games, were invented by Boniface VIII., the crafty pope pretended that he only revived an ancient ..."

5. Dictionary of National Biography by LESLIE. STEPHEN (1900)
"Only one secular doctor of theology and only two secular canonists took part in this proceeding. The sentence was pronounced in Wy- ..."

6. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (1899)
"Every circumstance of the secular games was skilfully adapted to inspire the superstitious mind with deep and solemn reverence. The long interval between ..."

7. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann (1913)
"An appeal was made in 1891 to the secular clergy to come and help the ... Several secular priests, and later several religious orders came to help in the ..."

8. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann (1913)
"Spiritual ministration was supplied, as far as possible, by the Benedictines and secular priests of the city of Erfurt, which remained a secular possession ..."

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