secularize

verb

sec·​u·​lar·​ize ˈse-kyə-lə-ˌrīz How to pronounce secularize (audio)
secularized; secularizing

transitive verb

1
: to make secular
2
: to transfer from ecclesiastical to civil or lay use, possession, or control
3
: to convert to or imbue with secularism
secularizer noun

Examples of secularize in a Sentence

attempts to secularize the government The government secularized the hospital.
Recent Examples on the Web Both began as missions established by Spanish colonizers that were later secularized and grew into towns after Mexico won its independence. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 26 Sep. 2023 The pre-revolutionary Sisters of Mercy were strongly associated with religious virtue but became increasingly secularized and professionalized during World War I. After the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, these nurses were reinvented as Soviet medical workers. Susan Grant, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2022 Yet for all the rejoicing, American society continues to secularize. Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Dec. 2022 Early campaigns for financial reorganization gave way to ambitious attempts to secularize the inhabitants of monastic houses on a scale unseen in any other national church—with dramatic social as well as economic consequences. Crawford Gribben, WSJ, 29 Apr. 2022 Benedictines sympathize with the first two groups but tend to be more pessimistic about the prospects for national political or top-down solutions while the culture continues to secularize. Damon Linker, The Week, 13 July 2021 In the 1920s, the Mexican government’s attempt to secularize the country sparks a rebellion known as the Cristero War. Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'secularize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of secularize was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near secularize

Cite this Entry

“Secularize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secularize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

secularize

verb
sec·​u·​lar·​ize ˈsek-yə-lə-ˌrīz How to pronounce secularize (audio)
secularized; secularizing
1
: to make secular
2
: to transfer to civil use, possession, or control from that of the church
secularization noun

More from Merriam-Webster on secularize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!