secular
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secular
Refers to the earthly, material world and not to religious, church, or spiritual matters. The opposite of 'geistlich' (clerical/spiritual).
Die Trennung von Kirche und Staat sorgt dafür, dass die Regierung weltliche Entscheidungen trifft.
The separation of church and state ensures that the government makes secular decisions.
The adjective 'weltlich' (secular) is derived from the noun 'die Welt' (the world). The ending '-lich' turns the noun into an adjective and means something like 'related to the world' or 'belonging to the world.'
Er entschied sich für ein weltliches Leben außerhalb des Klosters.
He chose a secular life outside the monastery.
'Weltlich' (secular) is often used to describe nouns that stand in contrast to something religious or spiritual. Common combinations are 'weltliche Macht' (secular power), 'weltliche Musik' (secular music), 'weltliche Güter' (worldly goods), or 'weltliche Freuden' (worldly pleasures).
Im Mittelalter gab es oft Konflikte zwischen der kirchlichen und der weltlichen Macht.
In the Middle Ages, there were often conflicts between church power and secular power.
This word is often found in texts about history, politics, philosophy, or art. It is used to make a clear distinction between state or social matters and church or religious matters.
Die Diskussion drehte sich um die Rolle der Religion in einer modernen, weltlichen Gesellschaft.
The discussion revolved around the role of religion in a modern, secular society.
holy / sacred
'heilig' and 'weltlich' form an opposition in the religious sphere. 'heilig' describes something that belongs to God, religion, or worship and is considered especially consecrated. 'weltlich', by contrast, describes things that are not religious or church-related, but belong to ordinary earthly life. So the contrast is: religiously venerated or consecrated on one side, and non-religious and everyday or state-related on the other.
Die Feier war weltlich und fand nicht in einer Kirche statt.
The ceremony was secular and did not take place in a church.
Für die Gläubigen ist dieser Berg ein heiliger Ort.
For the believers, this mountain is a sacred place.