secular rule
State without church
Secular rule is government that operates independently of religious authority or doctrine.
The term typically describes political systems where church and state are separate, with laws based on civil rather than religious principles: The country transitioned from theocracy to secular rule.
It contrasts with religious governance where clergy hold political power or sacred texts serve as legal foundations.
- civilMinimally polite
- civil authorityNon-religious governmental power
- governmentAuthority over a state
- stateCondition or mode
- nation stateCulturally homogeneous political entity
temporal · worldly · laity · separation · church and state · authority · head of state · monarchy · constitutional monarchy · divine right · republic · democracy · constitution · separation of powers · throne · crown · parliament · politics
secular ruletheocracy
Rule by religious authority
hierocracy · caliphate · Sharia law · biblical law · Vatican City
secular rulestate religion
Government-backed official faith
secular, secularly, secularism, secularist, secularize, secularization, secularized, secularizing, secularity