adjective
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of, belonging or relating to, or characteristic of sects or sectaries
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adhering to a particular sect, faction, or doctrine
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narrow-minded, esp as a result of rigid adherence to a particular sect
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sectarian
Explanation
Sectarian is a word to describe something having to do with smaller groups or sects. Sectarian violence, for example, would describe violence that has erupted between conflicting groups or sects. Sectarian, as a noun, is a member of a group with a particular set of interests. If you're a religious sectarian, you are loyal to a particular religious sect or group. Unfortunately, there are not many places in the world where sectarian strife and conflict do not exist.
Vocabulary lists containing sectarian
Power Suffix: -arian
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"Ideas Live On" by Benazir Bhutto (2007)
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President Obama's U.N. Address
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sectarian fears in both India and Pakistan always peak during times of tension, and hostility between the neighbors is running particularly high right now.
From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2019
Sectarian tensions lie at the root of the fighting.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2015
Sectarian battles in Pakistan and the Gulf ripple back to Bradford.
From Economist • Jun. 25, 2015
“The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating. . . . Sectarian conflict is the principal challenge to stability.”
From Washington Post • Jun. 23, 2015
Sectarian narrowness never guided his choice, and that spirit never thrived in his school.
From Charles Lewis Cocke Founder of Hollins College by Smith, William Robert Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
