Dechristianised

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Stripped of Christian religious influence, belief, or institutional presence, especially a nation, culture, or public institution that has become secular
2. Having had its Christian character, practices, and church ties removed so that religion no longer shapes its laws, customs, or public life
3. Made secular by the removal of Christian faith, teaching, and authority from a community, government, or cultural sphere over time

Etymology: "Dechristianised" is the past tense and past participle of "dechristianise", so its history lies in that base verb. The verb is formed from "de-", a prefix meaning "reversal or removal," attached to "christianise," which in turn comes from "Christian" plus the suffix "-ise," meaning "to make, or to make into." Together they describe the act of removing Christian character, belief, or institutional standing from a person, society, or place. The pattern is a plain one. English builds such verbs freely on existing words, and "dechristianise" follows the same logic as other "de-" verbs formed from a base with "-ise." Its meaning stays close to its parts: to strip away Christian influence, rather than to abolish a faith in some formal sense.

Synonyms: secularised, secularized, irreligious

Antonyms: christianised, christianized