nonchurchgoing

7.2

A person who does not go to church regularly

adjective

: no asistente a la iglesia

As a nonchurchgoing individual, he prefers to spend Sundays hiking rather than attending services.

Examples

Although she was raised in a religious family, she is now nonchurchgoing.
The survey indicates an increase in the nonchurchgoing population in urban areas.
She is a nonchurchgoing person who prefers to practice her faith privately.
Many nonchurchgoing families still value community traditions.
As a nonchurchgoing individual, he prefers to spend Sundays hiking rather than attending services.
Although she was raised in a religious family, she is now nonchurchgoing.
Many nonchurchgoing families still value community traditions.

Synonyms

unchurched

vsnonchurchgoing

2 7.9

Not going to church or belonging to any religious group

focuses on not attending services rather than broader lack of membership

lapsed

vsnonchurchgoing

6.8

No longer taking part in a group or activity you once joined

emphasizes current irregular attendance rather than prior active participation

nonobservant

vsnonchurchgoing

7.1

Not following a religion's rules and customs

focuses on absence of church attendance and participation rather than ritual observance

Antonyms

churchgoing

3 3.9

Someone who goes to church regularly and takes part in services

How Religious

devout

55 5.7

religious

∞ 2.7

nonchurchgoing

7.2

secular

143 4.7

Surface Forms

nonchurchgoing positive

Morphology

nonchurchgoing = churchgoing (transparent) = non + church + going

Formed by adding the productive negative prefix 'non-' to the transparent adjective 'churchgoing', so the negated meaning is directly predictable.

Etymology

Nonchurchgoing breaks into three simple parts: non- meaning 'not', church meaning 'church', and going meaning 'going' or 'attending'. So a nonchurchgoing person is someone who does 'not' go to church, which explains the word's current meaning.