sectarian

adjective

sec·tar·i·an | \ sek-ˈter-ē-ən

Definition of sectarian

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of a sect or sectarian

2 : limited in character or scope : parochial

sectarian

noun

Definition of sectarian (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an adherent of a sect

2 : a narrow or bigoted person

Other Words from sectarian Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about sectarian

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Examples of sectarian in a Sentence

Adjective

The country was split along sectarian lines. there are people on both the left and the right who have staked out unyielding sectarian positions in this debate

Noun

charged that the work of Congress has been stymied by sectarians who are indifferent to reason and intolerant of compromise

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Checkpoints there were a source of tension and a target during the decades of sectarian violence before Northern Ireland’s 1998 peace accord. — Lorne Cook, The Seattle Times, "UK lawmakers seize Brexit agenda in bid to break deadlock," 26 Mar. 2019 In a region beset by national, sectarian and tribal conflicts, the treaty between the two nations has endured since its signing on March 26, 1979. — Dennis Ross And David Makovsky, WSJ, "40 Years of Peace Between Israel and Egypt," 25 Mar. 2019 Related The study also provides an unvarnished account of how the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 was followed by a rise in violence, sectarian tensions and, eventually, the rise of Islamic State. — Michael R. Gordon, WSJ, "Army Releases a Critical History of the War in Iraq," 17 Jan. 2019 The law has instead fueled sectarian violence within Egypt. — Marlo Safi, WSJ, "Is Sisi Good for Egypt’s Christians?," 10 Jan. 2019 Suspected al-Qaeda militants had bombed the golden-domed al-Askari mosque sacred to Shiites, sparking a years-long sectarian conflict throughout the country. — Washington Post, "Public enemy or savior? An Iraqi city could reveal the true Moqtada al-Sadr," 4 July 2018 The journalists were making a documentary about the mysterious activities of a group of paramilitary mercenaries in the Central African Republic, which is undergoing brutal sectarian strife. — Ivan Nechpurenko, The Seattle Times, "3 Russian journalists killed in Central African Republic," 31 July 2018 As the Burmese teacher S.N. Goenka has noted, the Buddha didn’t teach a sectarian religion, but rather a way of life, a tool for achieving clarity, peace of mind, and liberation from suffering. — Eliza Barclay, Vox, "The growth of yoga and meditation in the US since 2012 is remarkable," 11 Nov. 2018 His state, meanwhile, is becoming more narrowly sectarian as Alawite (his sect), Shia and Christian minorities start to take over property abandoned by the fleeing Sunnis (see article). — The Economist, "Syrian refugees could turn into the new Palestinians," 30 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Lebanon’s unique sectarian make up and place in the region make its politics about local issues like jobs, infrastructure, and garbage collection as well as about regional rivalries and alliances. — Ben Hubbard, BostonGlobe.com, "Elections in Lebanon boost Hezbollah’s clout," 7 May 2018 And so, there was the odd spectacle of the Irish Times religion reporter, Patsy McGarry, ringing in the 2016 with an editorial suggesting that Rising leaders Patrick Pearse and James Connolly were poisonous Catholic sectarians. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "The Next Lost Cause," 1 Nov. 2017 As a result, Sunni sectarians across the region concluded that Obama’s United States was on the side of the Shia. — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, "Trump Complies Perfectly With the Saudi Line," 21 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sectarian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.