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separation of church and state
noun phrase
: the act or state of keeping government and religion separate from each other
Examples of separation of church and state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The extreme, theocratic position, taken by the Alabama Supreme Court was accompanied by Biblical quotes not in line with separation of church and state.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 24 Feb. 2024
His remarks about the separation of church and state stand in contrast to the First Amendment, which bars the government from making any law respecting the establishment of religion.
—Alexandra Berzon, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024
Representative Lauren Boebert, who has called for an end to the separation of church and state, was caught on a theater security camera in September vaping and groping her date.
—Ruth Graham, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Supporters say that the exemptions rightfully extend from the constitutional separation of church and state and that religious institutions would struggle without them.
—Todd Richmond, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024
Barton and other Seven Mountains proponents argue that the idea of separation of church and state, regarded by many as a bedrock of American democracy, is a myth invented by progressives based on a misreading of Thomas Jefferson’s famous 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024
The core idea was that government and religion exist in two distinct spheres — the basis for separation of church and state.
—Noah Feldman, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2024
Public school advocates quickly filed a petition to raise the question of using state money for private or parochial K-12 schools − invoking the separation of church and state.
—USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
Chris Daly, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, told lawmakers at the hearing Wednesday that the organization finds that the bill violates the First Amendment's separation of church and state.
—Rachel Fradette, The Indianapolis Star, 25 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'separation of church and state.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Separation of church and state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separation%20of%20church%20and%20state. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Legal Definition
separation of church and state
: the separation of religion and government mandated under the establishment clause and the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution that forbids governmental establishment or preference of a religion and that preserves religious freedom from governmental intrusion
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