secularist

noun

Definition of secularistnext
as in skeptic

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of secularist The American Revolution was, at heart, frankly and undeniably secularist. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 The agency that comes with a liberal secularist society does not account for the structure that religion once provided in meaning-making. — Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secularist
  1. skeptic
  2. agnostic
  3. atheist
Noun
  • The company agrees with skeptics like the NFL that justices must eventually opine on whether states and tribes should regulate its sports event contracts as sports bets, a Supreme Court litigator working with Kalshi told Semafor.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But rather than hail this trend as proof of AI’s skyrocketing potential, many in the field — skeptics and boosters alike — take it as evidence that benchmarking itself has become fatally flawed.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of skeptic
Noun
  • When the Yanks are chasing history, even Denver’s soccer agnostics are looking for a shotgun seat on the bandwagon.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 2 July 2026
  • However, all persons of faith, as well as atheists and agnostics, would do well to heed his words.
    — Brendan Steinhauser, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of agnostic
Noun
  • According to the Pew Research Center, 29% of Americans have no religion, but only 5% call themselves atheists.
    — Ruiqian Li, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans.
    — Tiffany Stanley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of atheist

Browse Nearby Words

secularisms
secularist
secularize
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Secularist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secularist. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All