secular humanism

noun

Definition of secular humanism

: humanism 3; especially : humanistic philosophy viewed as a nontheistic religion antagonistic to traditional religion

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secular humanist

noun or adjective

See secular humanism defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of secular humanism from the Web

Two errors lurked in that sentence and its presumption — that secular humanism is a religion, and that the Southern Baptists’ religion is a religion.

— garry wills, New York Times, "The Pious Presidency of Jimmy Carter," 26 Apr. 2018
This passionate defense of the Enlightenment ideals of scientific rationalism and secular humanism argues that human progress is a measurable fact and that the current moment is the best ever.

— olivia de recat, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'secular humanism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.