PoliticsSeptember 4, 2026
desacralized
dee-SAY-kruh-lyzd
Definition
Having been stripped of religious meaning, sanctity, or spiritual significance.
Etymology
Derived from the prefix 'de-' (meaning to remove or reverse) and the word 'sacralize,' which comes from the Latin 'sacralis' (sacred or holy). It entered English to describe the historical and cultural shift toward secularization.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe modern institutions that have abandoned traditional religious foundations, leaving them focused on secular agendas like victimology instead of spiritual meaning.
Unmaking Machiavelli’s Modernity
Read the full article ↗First Things