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

Money flowed for radical Buddhist groups that cheered on sectarian rioting in which Muslims died. — Hannah Beech, New York Times, "‘Our Duty to Fight’: The Rise of Militant Buddhism," 8 July 2019 Granted, the country is not Lebanon or Iraq, riven by sectarian feuds. — The Economist, "Pyramid scheme," 6 July 2019 Anyone paying attention can see a conflict driven by sectarian radicals. — Letter Writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: When it comes to Trump and Iran, it’s easy to see wisdom of the Framers," 29 June 2019 The state Supreme Court said no state aid could go toward sectarian education. — Louise Radnofsky, WSJ, "Supreme Court to Review Trump Effort to Cancel DACA," 28 June 2019 Wasn’t the money from the deal to be used to save his factory in Belfast (undermined by Thatcher’s miserly policies), which was providing jobs for a beleaguered people and helping to ease ongoing sectarian violence? — Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, "In Focus: Back to a future that didn’t go according to plan," 20 June 2019 The Mopti region in central Mali has been beset by sectarian violence in recent months. — Stephanie Busari And Mitchell Mccluskey, CNN, "Gunmen kill dozens in 'terrorist' Mali attack, government says," 18 June 2019 But as befits the country’s tortuously sectarian system of government, various groups have a foothold. — The Economist, "How airports explain the Arab world," 29 June 2019 Extremism comes in many sectarian shades and has evolved independently against a sense of malaise within various Muslim societies, sometimes because of European inroads and imperialism, and sometimes for entirely different reasons. — Michael Rubin, National Review, "Turkey’s Africa Strategy Threatens to Breed Islamist Extremism," 26 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Quite the contrary, the image of the cross makes the war memorial sectarian. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "SCOTUS: Cross honoring military can remain on public land," 20 June 2019 Quite the contrary, the image of the cross makes the war memorial sectarian. — Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, "Supreme Court rules that giant cross honoring military dead can remain on public land," 20 June 2019 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.