Background for secular

secular

/ˈsɛkjʊlə/ /ˈsɛkjələɹ/

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noun

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

Examples :

"The new priest was a secular, working as a teacher at the local school. "

religion theology toefl

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noun

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

Examples :

"The secular led the choir practice, focusing solely on the singing parts. "

religion music toefl

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noun

A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman.

Examples :

"The secular will decide the school's budget, while the religious leaders will advise on the moral aspects. "

religion person toefl

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adjective

Not specifically religious; lay or civil, as opposed to clerical.

Examples :

"The school's new policy on dress code is secular, meaning it does not favor any particular religion. "

religion culture philosophy society government toefl

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adjective

Temporal; worldly, or otherwise not based on something timeless.

Examples :

"The school's focus on secular values meant there were no religious holidays observed. "

philosophy culture religion society politics toefl

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adjective

Not bound by the vows of a monastic order.

Examples :

"secular clergy in Catholicism"

religion philosophy culture toefl

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adjective

Happening once in an age or century.

Examples :

"The secular games of ancient Rome were held to mark the end of a saeculum and the beginning of the next."

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adjective

Continuing over a long period of time, long-term.

Examples :

"The long-term growth in population and income accounts for most secular trends in economic phenomena."

time history toefl

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adjective

Centuries-old, ancient.

Examples :

"The ancient, secular traditions of our family are still important to us today. "

age history time toefl

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adjective

Relating to long-term non-periodic irregularities, especially in planetary motion or magnetic field.

Examples :

"The secular variations in the Earth's magnetic field are making it harder to use traditional compass navigation. "

astronomy physics geology toefl

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adjective

(atomic physics) Unperturbed over time.

Examples :

"The scientist observed the secular decay of the radioactive material in the lab. "

physics science toefl