secular

adjective seh-koo-LAHR Rare

Origin: From Latin saecularis (of an age, of the world).

Also means

century-long, age-old

Usage Note

Secular primarily means non-religious or lay, contrasted with religioso or eclesiástico — educación secular (secular education). It also retains the Latin sense of lasting for centuries: una tradición secular (an age-old tradition). This double meaning is a false-friend trap for English speakers, who associate 'secular' only with the religion sense.

Examples

"El estado secular no impone ninguna religión oficial."

Natural Translation

The secular state does not impose any official religion.

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