Relating to or characterized by opposition to established churches, church authority, or organized religious institutions.
From antichurch + -ian (relating to). This adjective form allowed the concept of anti-church sentiment to be applied broadly to movements, people, and philosophies that challenged ecclesiastical authority.
Words ending in -ian became the intellectual trademark of the Enlightenment—philosophers could describe themselves as Enlightenment-ian or antichurchian, creating a whole new vocabulary for ideas that challenged tradition.
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