From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Secular \Sec"u*lar\, a. [OE. secular, seculer. L. saecularis,
fr. saeculum a race, generation, age, the times, the world;
perhaps akin to E. soul: cf. F. s['e]culier.]
1. Coming or observed once in an age or a century.
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The secular year was kept but once a century.
--Addison.
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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.
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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.
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New foes arise,
Threatening to bind our souls with secular chains.
--Milton.
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4. (Eccl.) 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.
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He tried to enforce a stricter discipline and
greater regard for morals, both in the religious
orders and the secular clergy. --Prescott.
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5. Belonging to the laity; lay; not clerical.
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I speak of folk in secular estate. --Chaucer.
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{Secular equation} (Astron.), the algebraic or numerical
expression of the magnitude of the inequalities in a
planet's motion that remain after the inequalities of a
short period have been allowed for.
{Secular games} (Rom. Antiq.), 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 {Secular poem}, a hymn or poem composed for
the secular games, or sung or rehearsed at those games.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Secular \Sec"u*lar\, n.
1. (Eccl.) A secular ecclesiastic, or one not bound by
monastic rules. --Burke.
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2. (Eccl.) A church official whose functions are confined to
the vocal department of the choir. --Busby.
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3. A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
secular
adj 1: of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and
religious considerations
2: characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed
to the spiritual world; "worldly goods and advancement";
"temporal possessions of the church" [syn: {worldly},
{secular}, {temporal}] [ant: {unworldly}]
3: not concerned with or devoted to religion; "sacred and
profane music"; "secular drama"; "secular architecture",
"children being brought up in an entirely profane
environment" [syn: {profane}, {secular}] [ant: {sacred}]
4: of or relating to clergy not bound by monastic vows; "the
secular clergy" [ant: {religious}]
5: characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy;
"set his collar in laic rather than clerical position"; "the
lay ministry" [syn: {laic}, {lay}, {secular}]
n 1: someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person
[syn: {layman}, {layperson}, {secular}] [ant: {clergyman},
{man of the cloth}, {reverend}]
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