What does secularise mean?
Secularise means to make an institution, practice, or public sphere independent of religious control or influence. Its best-known use is in political and educational debate: a government may be described as secularising education, the armed forces, or public institutions by separating them from religious authority. The word can also refer more narrowly to removing explicitly religious features from an organisation or ceremony. It is the British counterpart of the US spelling secularize. Secularise should not be confused with “secular” itself: a secular institution is already independent of religious control, whereas to secularise an institution is to bring about that change or to advance it in that direction. The term often appears in discussions of church and state, religious education, and the public use of religious symbols.
verbTo make something secular, especially by removing or reducing its religious character or influence.
- To make an institution, practice, or area of life secular or independent of religious authority.
"The reform sought to secularise state education and separate religious instruction from the curriculum."
"The committee recommended secularising the broadcasting system."
"Some reformers argued that the ceremony should be secularised without changing its underlying symbolism."
To secularise something is not merely to remove religion from it, but to reorganise it around worldly purposes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does secularise come from?
Secularise was formed in English with the suffix “-ise” from the adjective “secular”. The adjective comes through Old French from Latin saecularis, associated with saeculum, meaning a generation or age and, in its Christian usage, the secular or worldly realm outside the Church. In English, the word developed from the general sense of “worldly” to the modern opposition between secular and religious affairs.
Related word forms
How secularise is actually used
The word is used chiefly in British English, though it is understood internationally. It often describes transferring control of an institution from religious authorities to the state or to a secular public authority, and it can imply a deliberate reduction of religious influence rather than a simple removal of religious elements.
Easily confused with secularise
Secularize is the standard US spelling, whereas secularise is the traditional British spelling.