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Would the more appropriate word to describe a person who holds secular beliefs be "secular person" or "secularist"?

Personally, I feel that "secular person" would be the answer as the suffix "-ist" is usually associated with professions (e.g., artist) or followers of theological doctrine (e.g., fundamentalist, Buddhist, Calvinist) whereas secularism is far from following theological doctrine or a denomination.

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  • "Secularism" doesn't imply that the individual does not adhere to some theological doctrine, but rather that that individual believes that whatever theological doctrines he and his fellow citizens follow should not affect their relationship with their government.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Jun 7, 2015 at 22:02
  • @HotLicks That is not how the OED defines secularism, which is: The doctrine that morality should be based solely on regard to the well-being of mankind in the present life, to the exclusion of all considerations drawn from belief in God or in a future state. Note there is no reference to any relationship with government.
    – WS2
    Commented Jun 7, 2015 at 22:53
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    @WS2 - Well, I guess the definition is a religious issue.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Jun 8, 2015 at 0:31
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    (Try the National Secular Society (UK).)
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Jun 8, 2015 at 0:37
  • (And the free online Oxford dictionary doesn't define "secularism" at all. Several other online dictionaries do, with varying definitions, but generally with at least one sense that is "separation of church and state".)
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Jun 8, 2015 at 0:40

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Both expressions are used and the -ist suffix is also to indicate someone who advocates a belief, as in this case:

Secularist

  • an advocate of secularism; someone who believes that religion should be excluded from government and education.

(The Free Dictionary)

To avoid confusion I used the expression secularists are whose usage appear to be increasing:

Ngram: secular person vs secularist is vs secularists are

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  • Whilst this definition accords with the way the National Secular Society defines secularism and secularist, it is not the meaning given by the OED. See my comment in reply to @Kelvin Zhang's answer.
    – WS2
    Commented Jun 7, 2015 at 23:11

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