a body of persons adhering to a particular religious faith; a religious denomination.
a group regarded as heretical or as deviating from a generally accepted religious tradition.
(in the sociology of religion) a Christian denomination characterized by insistence on strict qualifications for membership, as distinguished from the more inclusive groups called churches.
any group, party, or faction united by a specific doctrine or under a doctrinal leader.
a subdivision of a larger religious group (esp the Christian Church as a whole) the members of which have to some extent diverged from the rest by developing deviating beliefs, practices, etc
derogatory
a schismatic religious body characterized by an attitude of exclusivity in contrast to the more inclusive religious groups called denominations or Churches
a religious group regarded as extreme or heretical
a group of people with a common interest, doctrine, etc; faction
1300–50; Middle English secte < Latin secta something to follow, pathway, course of conduct, school of thought, probably noun derivative of sectārī to pursue, accompany, wait upon, frequentative of sequī to follow
From Latin sectus, past participle of secāre “to cut”
A sect is a religious group that exists inside of a larger religion. Think of it as a section of a particular religion. Although objectively speaking a sect is merely a subdivision of a larger religious group, the word often carries with it the feeling of a part of a religion that has broken away. It often has a negative connotation in English because it implies that the group departed from what was standard to believe something different or odd. If you are comparing two sects you might talk about their sectarian differences.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
An exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia juxtaposes the functional yet beautiful designs of the religious sect with contemporary works inspired by its creations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
A meetinghouse stood at the center of every village created by the Shakers, the separatist and celibate Christian religious sect founded in the 18th century that was devoted to communal living and simple, functional design.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
Wednesday's decision means liquidation proceedings will begin and the sect will no longer benefit from tax exemption, although the group can still appeal to the top court.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
The second of eight children in a religious family, his father was a mid-ranking cleric from the Shia branch of Islam, the dominant sect in Iran.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026
I highly doubted a Hasidic holy man was hiding in the brick-and-metal heart of Chicago, much less that Frankie, coming from the opposing Misnagdic sect of Judaism, would want anything to do with one.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Palmatifid, -lobed, -sect, palmately cleft, or lobed, or divided.
From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa
“His followers go along with what he says as if they were members of a sect. If he says it’s no problem to go out, people believe him,” Marino said.
From The Guardian ● May 8, 2020
See also Bishop Butler, Analogy, part I. chap. v. sect. iii.
From Ethics by Aristotle
Rev. Charles Forster's Historical Geography of Arabia, part i. sect. vi., in which he discusses "the vestiges of Arab colonies, and maintains the Arabo-Abrahamic origin of the Greeks."
From Notes and Queries, Number 70, March 1, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Bell, George
Fuller, in his Church Hist., book III. cent. xiii. sect. 8., has given the origin of postmasters.
From Notes and Queries, Number 231, April 1, 1854 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Bell, George
Reform., p. 367.456.Annot. on Matt. xv., sect. 5.457.3, quest.
From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by Gillespie, George
Its tens of thousands of active-duty soldiers reflect the mosaic that is the country, with representation from all sects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
"All sects used to celebrate with us, and we hope to see this in the coming years, in order to rebuild Syria," she added.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
Almost all sects and factions of the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community are taking part in what has been dubbed the "march of the million".
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2025
In the end, wrote Burger, the track record of the Amish in maintaining alternative modes of informal vocational education was a showing “that probably few other religious groups or sects could make.”
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2025
He was painfully aware that he lacked the ecclesiastical aplomb and savoir-faire that enabled so many of his colleagues in other faiths and sects to get ahead.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
