secularly
|sec-u-lar-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˈsɛkjələrli/
🇬🇧
/ˈsɛkjʊəlɪ/
worldly; non-religious
Etymology
'secularly' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'saecularis', where 'saeculum' meant 'age' or 'generation'.
'secularly' changed from Medieval Latin/Old French forms such as 'seculer' and later Middle English 'seculer/seculare' and eventually became the modern English adjective 'secular' with the adverbial suffix '-ly' forming 'secularly'.
Initially, it meant 'of an age' or 'worldly', and over time it evolved into its current senses of 'nonreligious' and 'temporal'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a nonreligious or nonspiritual manner; not connected with religious or ecclesiastical matters.
The school is run secularly, providing education without religious instruction.
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Adverb 2
in a temporal or worldly manner (often contrasted with ecclesiastical or spiritual authority); historically used to mean 'in temporal affairs'.
In the medieval period, kings often held both spiritual and secularly based powers.
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Last updated: 2025/11/23 21:36