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• sect
  sect

  noun

  a body of persons adhering to a particular religious faith; a religious denomination.
• -sect
  -sect

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

  abbreviation

  section.

sect

¹ 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 ² American  

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

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sect. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. section.

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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

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

Origin of -sect²

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

Fast-forward 25 years, and she started accompanying her husband, Zack Hoppenrath, who is currently in the punk band Zack Static Sect, to shows, and began taking pictures with her iPhone.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2021

“The show is not called ‘My Fringe Sect Life,’ it is called ‘My Unorthodox Life,’” reads an opinion piece from The Jerusalem Post.

From New York Times • Aug. 12, 2021

Saved by the Beggars’ Sect, he learns the long-lost martial art of Drunken Fist to defeat the person who framed him.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2020

His concern is shared by other local Plain Sect dairy farmers - a considerable source of milk production in the state’s number one dairy county.

From Washington Times • Oct. 7, 2017

He had, however, wandered pretty widely outside the limits of the Clapham Sect.

From The Life of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, Bart., K.C.S.I. A Judge of the High Court of Justice by Stephen, Leslie, Sir

Related Words

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