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

Costa’s film doesn’t focus on, say, Iran or Afghanistan – where theocratic control of government has become a norm — but in a place where separation of church and state is enshrined in the constitution: her native Brazil. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 June 2025

The ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked a major win for civil liberties groups who said the mandate violates the separation of church and state. —Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025

Opponents of the bill had argued that placing the Ten Commandments in public school rooms amounted to a breach in the separation of church and state and would indoctrinate students. —The Hill, 25 May 2025

The proposal marks an effort from Christian Republican lawmakers in the state to push religion into the public sphere, testing the bounds of the Constitution and the country’s separation of church and state. —Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 14 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for separation of church and state

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

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