Secular \Sec"u*lar\, a. [OE. secular, seculer. L. saecularis,
fr. saeculum a race, generation, age, the times, the world;
perhaps akin to E. soul: cf. F. s['e]culier.]
1. Coming or observed once in an age or a century.
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The secular year was kept but once a century.
--Addison.
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2. Pertaining to an age, or the progress of ages, or to a
long period of time; accomplished in a long progress of
time; as, secular inequality; the secular refrigeration of
the globe.
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3. Of or pertaining to this present world, or to things not
spiritual or holy; relating to temporal as distinguished
from eternal interests; not immediately or primarily
respecting the soul, but the body; worldly.
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New foes arise,
Threatening to bind our souls with secular chains.
--Milton.
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4. (Eccl.) Not regular; not bound by monastic vows or rules;
not confined to a monastery, or subject to the rules of a
religious community; as, a secular priest.
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He tried to enforce a stricter discipline and
greater regard for morals, both in the religious
orders and the secular clergy. --Prescott.
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5. Belonging to the laity; lay; not clerical.
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I speak of folk in secular estate. --Chaucer.
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{Secular equation} (Astron.), the algebraic or numerical
expression of the magnitude of the inequalities in a
planet's motion that remain after the inequalities of a
short period have been allowed for.
{Secular games} (Rom. Antiq.), games celebrated, at long but
irregular intervals, for three days and nights, with
sacrifices, theatrical shows, combats, sports, and the
like.
{Secular music}, any music or songs not adapted to sacred
uses.
{Secular hymn} or {Secular poem}, a hymn or poem composed for
the secular games, or sung or rehearsed at those games.
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