Sacred vs. Secular — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 4, 2024
Sacred refers to anything connected with religion or deemed holy, while secular denotes non-religious aspects of life or attitudes focused on the worldly rather than the spiritual.
Difference Between Sacred and Secular
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Sacred typically pertains to things regarded as holy, divine, or spiritually significant. This includes objects, places, practices, and texts deemed worthy of reverence or worship within various religious traditions. Secular, in contrast, relates to aspects of life and human activities that are not influenced by or associated with religious beliefs or practices. It encompasses the worldly, material, and temporal, focusing on the present life and its practical concerns rather than spiritual or eternal questions.
Sacred elements are often central to religious observance and are treated with a great degree of respect and solemnity. They are considered set apart from the ordinary, imbued with a special status that commands veneration. Secularism advocates for the separation of religion from political, social, and educational spheres, emphasizing reason, science, and humanism as bases for decision-making and legislation.
The distinction between sacred and secular is foundational to understanding the role of religion in society and individual lives. While sacred elements are imbued with divine significance and guide spiritual and moral aspects of life, secular elements focus on the here-and-now, often prioritizing empirical evidence and rational thought over faith or spiritual belief.
In many cultures, the sacred and secular coexist, each playing distinct roles in shaping values, behaviors, and institutions. For instance, religious festivals may have sacred significance but can also be celebrated in a secular manner by those who focus on the cultural or communal aspects rather than the religious meaning.
The interaction between the sacred and the secular is a dynamic aspect of societal development, reflecting changes in religious beliefs, secular ideologies, and the balance between them. As societies evolve, the boundaries between the sacred and the secular can shift, leading to discussions and sometimes conflicts about the role of religion in public life and the extent to which secular principles should govern societal norms.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Connected with religion or deemed holy.
Non-religious, relating to worldly rather than spiritual aspects.
Focus
Spiritual significance, eternal questions.
Present life, practical concerns, reason, and science.
Role in Society
Guides spiritual and moral aspects of life.
Governs societal norms and decision-making outside of religious influence.
Basis
Faith, divine significance.
Humanism, empirical evidence, rational thought.
Example
Religious rituals, holy texts.
Government legislation, secular education.
Compare with Definitions
Sacred
Regarded with great respect and reverence by a particular religion, group, or individual.
The Quran is sacred to Muslims.
Secular
Existing separate from religious institutions.
Secular charities provide aid regardless of the recipients' religious beliefs.
Sacred
Connected with religion or religious rites.
Sacred music is an integral part of many worship services.
Secular
Relating to the doctrine that morality should be based on well-being rather than religious prescriptions.
Secular ethics argue for moral principles that are universal and human-centered.
Sacred
Dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration.
Sacred sites are often destinations for pilgrimages.
Secular
Denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.
Secular laws govern society without reference to religious rules.
Sacred
Pertaining to the divine or as being manifest in a deity.
Sacred teachings often guide moral and ethical conduct.
Secular
Not subject to or bound by religious rule.
A secular state ensures freedom of religion for its citizens.
Sacred
Invoking the power of divine protection.
Many cultures have sacred amulets believed to protect the wearer.
Secular
Concerned with the affairs of this world, not spiritual matters.
Secular education focuses on science and human history rather than religious doctrine.
Sacred
Connected with God or a god or dedicated to a religious purpose and so deserving veneration
Sacred rites
The site at Eleusis is sacred to Demeter
Secular
Worldly rather than spiritual
The secular affairs of the parish.
Sacred
Dedicated to or set apart for the worship of a deity.
Secular
Not relating to religion or to a religious body; nonreligious
Secular music.
Sacred
Worthy of religious veneration
The sacred teachings of the Buddha.
Secular
Not bound by the full monastic rule of a religious order. Used of clergy.
Sacred
Made or declared holy
Sacred bread and wine.
Secular
Relating to or advocating secularism.
Sacred
Dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose, or person
Sacred to the memory of her sister.
A private office sacred to the President.
Secular
Occurring or observed once in an age or century, as games in ancient Rome.
Sacred
Worthy of respect; venerable.
Secular
Lasting or persisting for a long time
A secular bear market.
Sacred
Of or relating to religious objects, rites, or practices.
Secular
(Astronomy) Of or relating to characteristics of astronomical phenomena that change slowly over time.
Sacred
Characterized by solemn religious ceremony or religious use, especially, in a positive sense; consecrated, made holy.
A sacred place
A sacred day
Sacred service
Secular
A member of the secular clergy.
Sacred
Religious; relating to religion, or to the services of religion; not secular
Secular
A layperson.
Sacred
Spiritual; concerned with metaphysics.
Secular
Not specifically religious; lay or civil, as opposed to clerical.
Sacred
Designated or exalted by a divine sanction; possessing the highest title to obedience, honor, reverence, or veneration; entitled to extreme reverence; venerable.
Secular
Temporal; worldly, or otherwise not based on something timeless.
Sacred
Not to be profaned or violated; inviolable.
Secular
(Christianity) Not bound by the vows of a monastic order.
Secular clergy in Catholicism
Sacred
(followed by the preposition "to") Consecrated; dedicated; devoted
Secular
Happening once in an age or century.
The secular games of ancient Rome were held to mark the end of a saeculum and the beginning of the next.
Sacred
(archaic) Solemnly devoted, in a bad sense, as to evil, vengeance, curse, or the like; accursed; baleful.
Secular
Continuing over a long period of time, long-term.
The long-term growth in population and income accounts for most secular trends in economic phenomena.
On a secular basis
Sacred
Simple past tense and past participle of sacre
Secular
(literary) Centuries-old, ancient.
Sacred
Set apart by solemn religious ceremony; especially, in a good sense, made holy; set apart to religious use; consecrated; not profane or common; as, a sacred place; a sacred day; sacred service.
Secular
Relating to long-term non-periodic irregularities, especially in planetary motion or magnetic field.
Sacred
Relating to religion, or to the services of religion; not secular; religious; as, sacred history.
Smit with the love of sacred song.
Secular
(atomic physics) Unperturbed over time.
Sacred
Designated or exalted by a divine sanction; possessing the highest title to obedience, honor, reverence, or veneration; entitled to extreme reverence; venerable.
Such neighbor nearness to our sacred [royal] bloodShould nothing privilege him.
Poet and saint to thee alone were given,The two most sacred names of earth and heaven.
Secular
A secular ecclesiastic, or one not bound by monastic rules.
Sacred
Hence, not to be profaned or violated; inviolable.
Secrets of marriage still are sacred held.
Secular
A church official whose functions are confined to the vocal department of the choir.
Sacred
Consecrated; dedicated; devoted; - with to.
A temple, sacred to the queen of love.
Secular
A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman.
Sacred
Solemnly devoted, in a bad sense, as to evil, vengeance, curse, or the like; accursed; baleful.
But, to destruction sacred and devote.
Secular
Coming or observed once in an age or a century.
The secular year was kept but once a century.
Sacred
Concerned with religion or religious purposes;
Sacred texts
Sacred rites
Sacred music
Secular
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.
Sacred
Worthy of respect or dedication;
Saw motherhood as woman's sacred calling
Secular
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.
New foes arise,Threatening to bind our souls with secular chains.
Sacred
Made or declared or believed to be holy; devoted to a deity or some religious ceremony or use;
A consecrated chursh
The sacred mosque
Sacred elephants
Sacred bread and wine
Sanctified wine
Secular
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.
He tried to enforce a stricter discipline and greater regard for morals, both in the religious orders and the secular clergy.
Sacred
Worthy of religious veneration;
The sacred name of Jesus
Jerusalem's hallowed soil
Secular
Belonging to the laity; lay; not clerical.
I speak of folk in secular estate.
Sacred
(often followed by `to') devoted exclusively to a single use or purpose or person;
A fund sacred to charity
A morning hour sacred to study
A private office sacred to the President
Secular
A secular ecclesiastic, or one not bound by monastic rules.
Secular
A church official whose functions are confined to the vocal department of the choir.
Secular
A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman.
Secular
Concerning those not members of the clergy;
Set his collar in laic rather than clerical position
The lay ministry
The choir sings both sacred and secular music
Common Curiosities
What is sacred?
Sacred refers to anything regarded as holy or divine within a religious context, deserving reverence and respect.
How do sacred values influence behavior?
Sacred values can profoundly influence individual and communal behavior, dictating moral codes, social norms, and personal priorities based on religious beliefs.
What does secular mean?
Secular describes aspects of life that are non-religious, focusing on worldly rather than spiritual matters.
What role does secularism play in modern society?
Secularism plays a critical role in modern society by advocating for the separation of religion from state affairs, ensuring that laws and policies are based on reason and universal principles of human rights.
Can secular perspectives offer moral guidance?
Yes, secular perspectives can provide moral guidance based on humanism, ethics, and rationality, focusing on human welfare and universal principles of justice and equality.
Are secular trends increasing?
Yes, in many parts of the world, there is a trend towards secularization, with an increasing emphasis on secular governance, education, and public life, reflecting changes in belief systems and cultural values.
What impact does secularization have on religious institutions?
Secularization can lead to changes in the role and influence of religious institutions in society, prompting adaptations in how they engage with communities and address spiritual and social needs.
Is secularism opposed to religion?
Secularism is not inherently opposed to religion; it seeks to establish a neutral space in public life where individuals can freely practice any or no religion.
Why is the separation of the sacred and secular important?
The separation allows for the coexistence of diverse religious beliefs and practices within a pluralistic society, ensuring that governmental and societal decisions respect freedom of conscience and belief.
Can something be both sacred and secular?
While the terms generally refer to distinct categories, some elements (like music or art) can have both sacred significance and secular appeal, depending on the context and interpretation.
How do societies balance sacred and secular values?
Societies balance these values through laws, policies, and social norms that respect religious freedom while ensuring that secular principles govern public life and institutions.
How can secularism accommodate religious diversity?
Secularism accommodates religious diversity by ensuring that public institutions and policies are neutral regarding religious matters, allowing for the free expression of diverse religious beliefs.
What are examples of sacred symbols?
Sacred symbols include religious icons, deities, scriptures, and artifacts that are revered within specific religious traditions.
What challenges arise from the interaction between sacred and secular worlds?
Challenges include managing conflicts between religious freedoms and secular laws, balancing moral and ethical considerations, and addressing divergent views on social issues.
How do sacred rituals differ from secular practices?
Sacred rituals are imbued with spiritual significance and are performed as part of religious observance, whereas secular practices are based on cultural, social, or personal preferences without religious connotations.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
