separation of church and state

noun phrase

: the act or state of keeping government and religion separate from each other

Examples of separation of church and state in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Several Texas state Democrats spoke out against the bill and its implications on the separation of church and state in the state Senate and House chambers. Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 25 Aug. 2025 Critics argue the measure violates the constitutional separation of church and state and restricts the free exercise of religion. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025 The Ten Commandments bill was temporarily halted by a judge in some school districts who ruled that the law violated the First Amendment’s separation of church and state. Zulekha Nathoo, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025 The separation of church and state, which is created by the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, is supported by decades of court precedent that requires that governmental action have secular purpose and not favor one religion over another. Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for separation of church and state

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Cite this Entry

“Separation of church and state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separation%20of%20church%20and%20state. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

separation of church and state

: the separation of religion and government mandated under the establishment clause and the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution that forbids governmental establishment or preference of a religion and that preserves religious freedom from governmental intrusion
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