secular : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: secular	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for secular
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
secular adj of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world; "worldly goods and advancement"; "temporal possessions of the church" Synonym(s): worldly, secular, temporal Antonym(s): unworldly not concerned with or devoted to religion; "sacred and profane music"; "secular drama"; "secular architecture", "children being brought up in an entirely profane environment" Synonym(s): profane, secular Antonym(s): sacred of or relating to clergy not bound by monastic vows; "the secular clergy" Antonym(s): religious characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy; "set his collar in laic rather than clerical position"; "the lay ministry" Synonym(s): laic, lay, secular n someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person Synonym(s): layman, layperson, secular Antonym(s): clergyman, man of the cloth, reverend
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Secular \Sec"ular\, a. [OE. secular, seculer. L. saecularis, fr. saeculum a race, generation, age, the times, the world; perhaps akin to E. soul: cf. F. s[82]culier.] 1. Coming or observed once in an age or a century. The secular* year was kept but once a century. --Addison. 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. 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. New foes arise, Threatening to bind our souls with secular chains. --Milton. 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. He tried to enforce a stricter discipline and greater regard for morals, both in the religious orders and the secular clergy. --Prescett. 5. Belonging to the laity; lay; not clerical. I speak of folk in secular estate. --Chaucer. {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] {poem}, a hymn or poem composed for the secular games, or sung or rehearsed at those games.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Secular \Sec"ular\, n. 1. (Eccl.) A secular* ecclesiastic, or one not bound by monastic rules. --Burke. 2. (Eccl.) A church official whose functions are confined to the vocal department of the choir. --Busby. 3. A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman.