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Anticlerical: meaning, definitions and examples

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anticlerical

 

[ ˌæn.tɪˈklɛr.ɪ.kəl ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

political stance

Anticlerical refers to opposition to religious authority or the influence of the clergy in public affairs, politics, and education. It often involves advocating for the separation of church and state.

Synonyms

irreligious, laicist, nonreligious, secular

Examples of usage

  • The anticlerical movement gained momentum during the Enlightenment.
  • His anticlerical views made him unpopular in religious circles.
  • Anticlerical policies were prominent during the French Revolution.

Translations

Translations of the word "anticlerical" in other languages:

🇵🇹 anticlerical

🇮🇳 विभाजन विरोधी

🇩🇪 antiklerikal

🇮🇩 anticlerical

🇺🇦 антиклерикальний

🇵🇱 antyklerykalny

🇯🇵 反教権的

🇫🇷 anticlérical

🇪🇸 anticlerical

🇹🇷 din karşıtı

🇰🇷 반교회적

🇸🇦 مناهض للكنيسة

🇨🇿 antiklerikální

🇸🇰 antiklerikálny

🇨🇳 反教权的

🇸🇮 antiklerikalni

🇮🇸 andklerklegur

🇰🇿 антиклерикалдық

🇬🇪 ანტიკლერიკალური

🇦🇿 antiklerikal

🇲🇽 anticlerical

Word origin

The term 'anticlerical' has its roots in the prefix 'anti-', meaning 'against', and 'clerical', which comes from 'cleric', denoting a member of the clergy. The word began to be used prominently in the 19th century when various social and political movements emerged, advocating for the separation of church and state. The anticlerical sentiment was particularly strong in countries like France and Mexico as a response to the perceived overreach of religious institutions into political matters. Historically, anticlericalism has often been linked to broader secular movements and has played a significant role in shaping modern governance and education systems that prioritize secular values over religious influence.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #33,210 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.