Secularization
Etymology
From Latin “saecularis,” “of an age or generation,” which in Church Latin came to mean “worldly” or “of this present age” as opposed to the eternal and sacred. To “secularize” first meant transferring property or clergy from religious to civil control. The broad sociological sense — a society-wide decline in religious authority — is a modern development.
noun · /sek-yuh-luh-rih-ZAY-shun/
The long-term process by which religion loses its authority over public life, institutions, and belief.
What it names
One of the master trends of modern societies — the gradual retreat of religion from politics, schooling, and everyday explanation.
Example
Falling church attendance is often cited as evidence of steady secularization.
Related idea
Distinguish it from secularism, a deliberate principle favoring separation of religion and state — secularization is the observed historical process, secularism the chosen stance.