as in faction
a group of people acting together within a larger group
one sect of medical researchers holds the minority view that the disease is not caused by that virus
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Recent Examples of sect
Some members of Assad’s Alawite sect have been subjected to revenge attacks by members of Islamist groups who drove Assad from power.
—
Ahmad Mantash, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
In Tyre, long held up by locals as a model of coexistence among Lebanon’s various sects, Israeli occupation and bombardment were not weakening Hezbollah’s case for its weapons.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
The Shiʿi sect of Islam believes that Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, was the prophet’s rightful successor as the leader of the Islamic world; the Sunnis believe that a leader should have been chosen from among the masses, leading to tensions between these two major Islamic sects.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Saddam was a Sunni and members of the sect disproportionately held top leadership positions during his time.
—ABC News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sect
Ahmad Mantash, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
In Tyre, long held up by locals as a model of coexistence among Lebanon’s various sects, Israeli occupation and bombardment were not weakening Hezbollah’s case for its weapons.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
The Shiʿi sect of Islam believes that Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, was the prophet’s rightful successor as the leader of the Islamic world; the Sunnis believe that a leader should have been chosen from among the masses, leading to tensions between these two major Islamic sects.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May 2026
Saddam was a Sunni and members of the sect disproportionately held top leadership positions during his time.
—ABC News, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sect
Noun
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The universe built for the manga – its characters, factions, and lore – also underpins Azuki TCG, the company’s trading card game, which topped $1 million in direct-to-player presales before its retail release.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
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But for some reason, while its competitors have quickly adapted, Anthropic’s vibes have been more visibly out of sync with those of the administration — and, tellingly, there are no factions in the administration rushing to defend Anthropic.—
Tina Nguyen,
The Verge,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Vegas pulled Carter Hart with about three minutes to go, officially entering desperation mode, but nothing worked, and Nikolaj Ehlers scored an empty-netter to start the party.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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Pre‑game party draws thousands Netherlands soccer fans gathered outside Choctaw Stadium for a pre‑game celebration with live music, a DJ, and entertainment.—
Dawn White,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
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But some speed down the wings, some of the players we’ve been linked with have been exciting.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The low-wing, single-engine turboprop plane was not able to make it to full power, according to officials with the Bates County Emergency Management Agency.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2026
Noun
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On the drama side of guest actor, the category was nearly steady at 84, down three from 87, while guest drama actress saw the cycle’s sharpest guest decline, falling to 51 from 77.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
12 June 2026
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Though Ohtani underwent surgery on the same knee in 2019, that was to address bipartite patella, on the other side of the knee.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sect. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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