What does secularism mean?
Secularism is the principle that religious belief and governmental authority should be separated. It generally means that laws and public institutions should not privilege a religion or derive their authority from religious doctrine, while also ensuring that people are not disadvantaged because of their religious beliefs or lack of belief. The idea can also describe a broader worldview in which public life is understood independently of religious authority. Secularism does not necessarily mean that religion must disappear from private life, nor does it imply hostility toward religion. Its practical meaning is debated: some interpretations emphasize institutional neutrality, while others advocate a more thorough separation or exclusion of religion from public affairs. The term is especially important in debates over education, lawmaking, public symbols, religious clothing, and the constitutional relationship between church and state.
nounThe principle that religion should be separate from government and public institutions, and that the state should treat religious and nonreligious citizens equally. The term can also refer more broadly to a worldview organized without reference to religious authority.
- The principle that religion and government should be institutionally separate, with public policy and law not based on religious doctrine.
- A worldview or way of understanding public life that places religious authority outside matters of government and common civic life.
"The committee rejected secularism, arguing that the nation's laws should reflect its religious traditions."
"The reform was presented as an example of secularism within the country's public education system."
"In modern debate, secularism may describe either institutional neutrality toward religion or a broader preference for a nonreligious public sphere."
The plural is uncommon but follows the regular English pattern and may distinguish different forms or interpretations of secularism.
"The scholars compared state secularism with local secularisms in several countries."
Secularism does not require a government to oppose religion; it requires government to stop treating any religion as the basis of public authority.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does secularism come from?
Secularism was formed in 19th-century English by adding the suffix -ism to secular, a word borrowed through Old French from Latin saecularis. The Latin adjective was associated with saeculum, meaning an age, generation, or long period, and developed the sense of relating to the world rather than to spiritual affairs. Secularism was coined during the modern period of debate over whether states and religions should possess separate authority.
Related word forms
How secularism is actually used
The term is common in political, legal, educational, and religious studies. In some countries, especially when discussing state policy, it can also carry the implication that religion should be excluded from public institutions, so its exact meaning may depend on context.
Easily confused with secularism
Secularism is the political principle of separating religion from public authority, whereas secularity is the broader quality or condition of being worldly or nonreligious.
Secularism is a noun naming a principle or outlook, while secular is an adjective describing something concerned with the nonreligious or with affairs outside religious authority.