sect

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a dissenting or schismatic religious body
especially : one regarded as extreme or heretical
b
: a religious denomination
2
archaic : sex sense 1
so is all her sectWilliam Shakespeare
3
a
: a group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or to a leader
b
: party
c

sect

2 of 2

abbreviation

Examples of sect in a Sentence

Noun one sect of medical researchers holds the minority view that the disease is not caused by that virus
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There are about 400,000 Amish living across settlements in 32 states, Canada and Bolivia – Pennsylvania has one of the highest concentrations of the Mennonite sect, according to the news agency. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 There is no reason to restrict love and success to a Bible verse of a highly specific religious sect. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2024 Ervil allegedly chose Chynoweth and his stepdaughter, Ramona Marston, to murder Rulon Allred, a naturopathic physician and a leader of a rival polygamist Mormon sect. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 9 Jan. 2024 Niang says this is especially prevalent among Black American couples since a large sect of the group don’t have generational wealth to fall back on if their nuclear family falls short. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 13 Feb. 2024 The group, which espouses a religious ideology inspired by a sect of Shiite Islam, has honed its military capabilities through years of civil war. Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024 At first, the internecine dispute between what is, essentially, two small sects of the already-small Crown Heights Orthodox Jewish community primarily garnered only local media interest. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2024 The sect had once ruled Yemen for centuries but was marginalized under the Sunni regime that came to power after a 1962 civil war. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 20 Dec. 2023 Following three months of Houthi attacks on international commercial and naval traffic off the Yemeni coast, coalition forces reluctantly transitioned from defensive to offensive operations against this terrorist sect on January 11. The Editors, National Review, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English secte, from Anglo-French & Late Latin & Latin; Anglo-French, group, faction, from Late Latin secta organized ecclesiastical body, from Latin, course of action, way of life, probably from sectari to pursue, frequentative of sequi to follow — more at sue

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sect was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sect

Cite this Entry

“Sect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sect. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sect

noun
ˈsekt
1
a
: a religious group having beliefs that differ greatly from those of the main body
b
: a religious body consisting of members having similar beliefs
2
a
: a group of people having the same beliefs or following the same leader
c

More from Merriam-Webster on sect

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