adj. & n.
--adj.
1. concerned with the affairs of this world; not spiritual or sacred.
2 (of education etc.) not concerned with religion or religious belief.
3 a not ecclesiastical or monastic. b (of clergy) not bound by a religious rule.
4 occurring once in an age or century.
5 lasting for or occurring over an indefinitely long time.
--n. a secular priest.
Phrases and idioms:
secular variation Astron. variation compensated over a long period of time.
Derivatives:
secularism n. secularist n. secularity n. secularize v.tr. (also -ise). secularization n. secularly adv.
Etymology: ME (in senses 1-3 f. OF seculer) f. L saecularis f. saeculum generation, age