a. [ OE. secular, seculer. L. saecularis, fr. saeculum a race, generation, age, the times, the world; perhaps akin to E. soul: cf. F. séculier. ] 1. Coming or observed once in an age or a century. [ 1913 Webster ]

The secular year was kept but once a century. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

New foes arise,
Threatening to bind our souls with secular chains. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

He tried to enforce a stricter discipline and greater regard for morals, both in the religious orders and the secular clergy. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Belonging to the laity; lay; not clerical. [ 1913 Webster ]

I speak of folk in secular estate. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

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
Secular poem, a hymn or poem composed for the secular games, or sung or rehearsed at those games. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Eccl.) A secular ecclesiastic, or one not bound by monastic rules. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eccl.) A church official whose functions are confined to the vocal department of the choir. Busby. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The state or quality of being secular; a secular spirit; secularity. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The tenets or principles of the secularists. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who theoretically rejects every form of religious faith, and every kind of religious worship, and accepts only the facts and influences which are derived from the present life; also, one who believes that education and other matters of civil policy should be managed without the introduction of a religious element. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf.F. sécularité, LL. saecularitas. ] Supreme attention to the things of the present life; worldliness. [ 1913 Webster ]

A secularity of character which makes Christianity and its principal doctrines distasteful or unintelligible. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. sécularisation. ] The act of rendering secular, or the state of being rendered secular; conversion from regular or monastic to secular; conversion from religious to lay or secular possession and uses; as, the secularization of church property. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Secularized p. pr. & vb. n. Secularizing ] [ Cf. F. séculariser. ] 1. To convert from regular or monastic into secular; as, to secularize a priest or a monk. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To convert from spiritual to secular or common use; as, to secularize a church, or church property. [ 1913 Webster ]

At the Reformation the abbey was secularized. W. Coxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To make worldly or unspiritual. Bp. Horsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a secular or worldly manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being secular; worldliness; worldly-mindedness. [ 1913 Webster ]