secularization
noun
sec·u·lar·i·za·tion
ˌse-kyə-lə-rə-ˈzā-shən 
: the act or process of making something secular or of becoming secular : removal from ecclesiastical or clerical use or influence
… the secularization of the convent next to his house on the Connecticut shore …—
William R. Everdell
William R. EverdellBecause of this disarming of church and clergy, when the young people of New England began to kick up their heels in the last decades of the eighteenth century there was no church power to do more than scold them. The real sexual revolution in early America was the secularization of morality.—Edmund S. Morgan
Edmund S. MorganThe current model of school secularization is built on the premise that the removal of controversial worldview perspectives produces a neutral secular school.—Craig S. Engelhardt
Craig S. EngelhardtExamples of secularization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By demanding their rights, women have played a crucial role in Iran’s secularization and democratic aspirations.
—Narges Mohammadi, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
The second explanation is that secularization has a limit in the United States.
—Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
The rise of social media, meanwhile, has only accelerated the march of secularization, pluralism, inclusivity, and cultural openness—on the right as much as the left.
—Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024
But in 1760 or so, France’s turn toward secularization lifted this taboo, and fertility started to fall.
—Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2024
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Narges Mohammadi, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025
The second explanation is that secularization has a limit in the United States.
—Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
The rise of social media, meanwhile, has only accelerated the march of secularization, pluralism, inclusivity, and cultural openness—on the right as much as the left.
—Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024
But in 1760 or so, France’s turn toward secularization lifted this taboo, and fertility started to fall.
—Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for secularization
Cite this Entry
“Secularization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secularization. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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