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secularism Definition

secu·lar·ism (-iz′əm)

noun

  1. worldly spirit, views, or the like; esp., a system of doctrines and practices that disregards or rejects any form of religious faith and worship
  2. the belief that religion and ecclesiastical affairs should not enter into the functions of the state, esp. into public education

Etymology: secular + -ism

secularism Related Forms
sec′u·lar·ist noun, adjective sec′u·lar·is′·tic adjective
secularism Usage Examples

Preposition: as

  • ideology: However, the strong version of secularism as an ideology does seem to be itself in decline.

Converse of object

  • promote: On the contrary, we should champion free expression, fight to roll back state power and promote secularism.
  • call: The Census report commented: There is a sect, originated recently, adherents to a system called Secularism.
  • say: I heard her say she was against imperialism and for social justice, but she did not say that secularism is necessary for democracy.
  • embrace: Under Kemal's presidency, Turkey dispensed with the feudal caliphate structure and embraced secularism as a basic tenet of state policy.
  • grow: Even Pope Benedict XVI yesterday warned of the dangers of growing secularism while in Germany.
  • increase: Maintaining The Ulster Sunday This article expresses concern at increasing secularism.

Preposition: in

  • society: The debate on threat posed by the Islamic headscarf, to the concept of secularism in French society.
  • country: To what extent is it possible to introduce secularism in these countries?
  • year: They must have done something significant to progress the cause of secularism in the past year.

Adjective modifier

  • militant: Militant secularism of the old kind is not the answer.
  • modern: All of these resources call into question modern secularism 's fatal error: the slide into subjectivism.
  • French: French institutions and authorities usually claim that the scarf violates French secularism.
  • Western: In fact, Western secularism, in the sense of de jure authority, is a more recent innovation than the Bible would suggest.
  • aggressive: They know that the real battle they face is with the aggressive secularism that surrounds them every day.
  • liberal: There are some who claim that September 11th is the end of liberal secularism.

Noun used with modifier

  • state: And yet, state secularism still poses a real threat to genuine pluralism.