-sect

¹ American  

1. a combining form with the meaning “cut,” used in the formation of compound words bisect, dissect, exsect .

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sect. ² American  

abbreviation

1. section.

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sect ³ American  

[sekt] / sɛkt /

noun

1. a body of persons adhering to a particular religious faith; a religious denomination.

2. a group regarded as heretical or as deviating from a generally accepted religious tradition.

3. (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.

4. any group, party, or faction united by a specific doctrine or under a doctrinal leader.

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-sect ¹ British  

combining form

1. to cut or divide, esp into a specified number of parts

   trisect

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sect ² British  

/ sɛkt /

noun

1. 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

2. derogatory

   1. a schismatic religious body characterized by an attitude of exclusivity in contrast to the more inclusive religious groups called denominations or Churches

   2. a religious group regarded as extreme or heretical

3. a group of people with a common interest, doctrine, etc; faction

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sect Cultural  

1. A religious group, especially one that has separated from a larger group. Sect is often a term of disapproval.

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Other Word Forms

• subsect noun
• undersect noun

Etymology

Origin of -sect¹

From Latin sectus, past participle of secāre “to cut”

Origin of sect¹

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

Example Sentences

The sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam whose members make up one of the country's biggest religious minorities.

From BBC

The sect is known as the Shaking Quakers, for their combination of a Quakerish faith in the individual spiritual experience and a worship style characterized by a feral sort of dancing.

From The Wall Street Journal

It stands to reason, then, that a film about Ann Lee, the founding “mother” of this 18th century celibate Christian sect, would be a musical.

From Los Angeles Times

The director, 44, grew up in a secular home in Norway, but her film about this radical American sect is strikingly earnest.

From Los Angeles Times

The Druze — a sect that combines elements of Islam and other religious traditions — constitute 1 million people worldwide; some 500,000 live in Syria, or roughly 3% of the population.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• church
• creed
• cult
• denomination
• faction
• faith
• religion