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secular

 - 5 dictionary results

sec⋅u⋅lar

  [sek-yuh-ler]
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal: secular interests.
2. not pertaining to or connected with religion (opposed to sacred ): secular music.
3. (of education, a school, etc.) concerned with nonreligious subjects.
4. (of members of the clergy) not belonging to a religious order; not bound by monastic vows (opposed to regular ).
5. occurring or celebrated once in an age or century: the secular games of Rome.
6. going on from age to age; continuing through long ages.
–noun
7. a layperson.
8. one of the secular clergy.
Use secular in a Sentence
Origin:
1250–1300; < ML sēculāris, LL saeculāris worldly, temporal (opposed to eternal), L: of an age, equiv. to L saecul(um) long period of time + -āris -ar 1 ; r. ME seculer < OF < L, as above

Related forms:
sec⋅u⋅lar⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To secular
sec·u·lar   (sěk'yə-lər)   
adj.  

  1. Worldly rather than spiritual.

  2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body: secular music.

  3. Relating to or advocating secularism.

  4. Not bound by monastic restrictions, especially not belonging to a religious order. Used of the clergy.

  5. Occurring or observed once in an age or century.

  6. Lasting from century to century.

n.  

  1. A member of the secular clergy.

  2. A layperson.


[Middle English, from Old French seculer, from Late Latin saeculāris, from Latin, of an age, from saeculum, generation, age.]
sec'u·lar·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

secular [(sek-yuh-luhr)]

Not concerned with religion or religious matters. Secular is the opposite of sacred.

Note: Secularization refers to the declining influence of religion and religious values within a given culture. Secular humanism means, loosely, a belief in human self-sufficiency.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

secular 
c.1290, "living in the world, not belonging to a religious order," also "belonging to the state," from O.Fr. seculer, from L.L. sæcularis "worldly, secular," from L. sæcularis "of an age, occurring once in an age," from sæculum "age, span of time, generation," probably originally cognate with words for "seed," from PIE base *se(i)- "to sow" (cf. Goth. mana-seþs "mankind, world," lit. "seed of men"). Used in ecclesiastical writing like Gk. aion "of this world" (see cosmos). It is source of Fr. siècle. Ancient Roman ludi sæculares was a three-day, day-and-night celebration coming once in an "age" (120 years). Secularism "doctrine that morality should be based on the well-being of man in the present life, without regard to religious belief or a hereafter" first recorded 1846.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Secular

An adjective used to describe a long-term time frame, usually at least 10 years.

Investopedia Commentary

For example, in his book "Stocks For the Long Run", Jeremy Siegel (finance professor at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania) argues that equity securities (particular American equities) will likely outperform the other major asset classes on a secular basis, or over the long term. He backs this argument up with the fact that between 1871-2001 during any rolling 30-year period (a period long enough to be considered secular) stocks outperformed all other asset classes, in particular bonds and T-bills.

Related Links

Cyclical Versus Non-Cyclical Stocks
The Ups And Downs Of Investing In Cyclical Stocks

See also: Asset Class, Bond, Cyclical Industry, Cyclical Stock, Long Term, Long-Term Assets, Medium Term, Short Term, Treasury Bill

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