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Meaning & use

non-secular

adjective·Academicformalrare

Last updated

UK/ˌnɒn ˈsekjʊlə/
US/ˌnɑːn ˈsekjələr/

Meaning

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Connected with a religion or religious practice, as opposed to being independent of religion.

    Grammar: Usually placed before a noun: a non-secular school; seldom used after a verb.

    Patterns

    • a non-secular institution
    • non-secular teaching

    The city has several non-secular schools run by religious groups.

    The charity is non-secular, so its volunteers begin each day with a prayer.

    Unlike the national museum, this college is a non-secular institution.

Common combinations

non-secular school
The family chose a non-secular school that taught the faith alongside regular subjects.
non-secular organization
A non-secular organization may prefer to hire members of its own faith.
non-secular education
Non-secular education includes religious study as part of the curriculum.
non-secular purposes
The hall is used for both secular and non-secular purposes.
non-secular state
A non-secular state may give an official role to one religion.

Synonyms and how they differ

religious
Religious is the everyday word and is far more natural than non-secular, which sounds like a technical contrast with secular.
sacred
Sacred says something is holy or deserving reverence, which is stronger than simply being linked to a religion.
faith-based
Faith-based describes groups or programs that are driven by a religious belief, and it is common in discussions of charities.
spiritual
Spiritual can be about inner life without any organized religion, while non-secular points to a link with a religion.

Opposites

secularworldly

Word family

secular adjective
not connected with religion
secularism noun
the principle that religion should be kept apart from public life
secularize verb
to remove religious control or influence from something
secularization noun
the process of becoming less religious

Commonly confused: non-secular or nonsecular vs. insecure?

non-secular vs nonsecular vs. insecure

The words have no relation; secular comes from a Latin word meaning of the age, not from secure.

Practice

Which choice best describes a non-secular hospital?

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