seculars

Those without ordination

Seculars are people who are not bound by religious vows or who operate outside religious institutions.

The term most often distinguishes laypeople from clergy, or clergy living in the world from those in monastic orders: The monastery welcomed seculars for retreats.

More broadly, seculars are those who favor keeping religion separate from public affairs.

nonreligious

laypeople

Those outside a profession

laityNon-ordained church members
nonbelieversPeople lacking religious faith
atheistsThose without religious faith

agnostics · freethinkers · humanists · rationalists · skeptics · irreligious · unchurched · nones · worldly · temporal

governance

separation

State of being apart

church-stateReligion-government relationship
neutralityState of taking sides
pluralismCoexistence of differing views

civil · constitutional · democratic · liberal · disestablishment · nonpartisan · civic · public · nonsectarian · interfaith

clergy

diocesan

Of a bishop's district

pastoralOf countryside or clergy care
ordainedOfficially appointed to ministry
ministersReligious leaders or officials

vicars · curates · parochial

Opposites

religious vocation status

secularsreligious

Of faith or worship

monastics · monks · nuns · regulars · friars

clerical vs. lay status

secularsclerics

Ordained religious officials

ecclesiastics · churchmen · prelates · clergy · ministers

orientation toward sacred vs. worldly matters

secularsdevotees

Passionate adherents

ascetics · contemplatives · mystics · zealots · renunciants

Phrases

secular stateGovernment separate from religion
secular societyCulture separating state from religion
secular humanistOne embracing nontheistic ethics
secular educationInstruction without religious doctrine
secular schoolsEducational institutions without religious affiliation
secular thoughtNon-religious reasoning and philosophy

Family

secular, secularism, secularize, secularity

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