BharatNotes Secular
adjective; also nounUsage in a UPSC answer
The Indian Constitution embraces a distinctly positive conception of secularism, requiring the State to maintain principled equidistance from all faiths rather than to wall religion off entirely, so that a secular polity can both protect minority rights and reform inequitable religious practices in the public interest.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
secularism (n), secularise (v), secularisation (n), secularist (n), secularity (n)
Root
Latin saeculum = age, span of time, generation; saeculāris = worldly, of an age; via Old French seculer
Etymology
From Latin saeculāris ("worldly, of an age"), derived from saeculum ("age, span of time, generation"); entered English via Old French seculer around the 13th century.
Memory Hook
Link "secular" to "century" (saeculum = age/century): both come from the same root meaning a worldly span of time — the secular realm is the worldly, this-worldly one, set apart from the eternal/sacred.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2021 — Preamble
- Mains 2024 · GS2 · 15 marks — Indian Polity
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Secular” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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