sectarian

adjective sec·tar·i·an \ sek-ˈter-ē-ən \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of sectarian

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

2 :limited in character or scope :parochial

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sectarianism

play \sek-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm\ noun

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Examples of sectarian in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of sectarian from the Web

That includes resolving the impasse with North Korea, reexamining the nuclear deal with Tehran, and negotiating over how to end the sectarian conflict in Syria that empowered ISIS.

— trudy rubin, Philly.com, "Rex Tillerson conducts diplomacy as if he were still the godhead of Exxon Mobil | Trudy Rubin," 5 Aug. 2017
The measures follow months of sectarian tensions in the world’s most populous Muslim nation that shook the government and undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

— stephen wright, The Seattle Times, "Indonesia bans Hizbut group that seeks global caliphate," 19 July 2017
Thanks in part to unrelenting partisan animosity and sectarian media, the United States has been cracked wide open, two halves that seem increasingly unlikely to ever reassemble into anything resembling a cohesive whole.

— lang whitaker, GQ, "Waffle House Is America," 19 July 2017
The measures follow months of sectarian tensions in the world’s most populous Muslim nation that shook the government and undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

— Washington Post, "Indonesia bans Hizbut group that seeks global caliphate," 19 July 2017
The organization has sought to reinvent itself in the years after ISIS’s emergence, condemning the group’s brutality and the sectarian violence that has become a key aspect of the ISIS agenda.

— simon mabon, Fortune, "We’re Not Safe From ISIS Even If Its Leader Is Dead," 15 July 2017
The protection of cows, which are sacred to Hindus, has become a sectarian issue in India, where many in the meat-packing industry are Muslim.

— The Economist, "Politics this week," 13 July 2017
And the sectarian divide between Iraq’s Sunni and Shia populations that fostered ISIS’s rise remain unresolved, a situation complicated by the Kurds’ call for an independence referendum this fall.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Iraqi Army Declares Victory Over ISIS in Mosul," 10 July 2017
Revenge In the aftermath of victory, Abadi's government now faces the task of managing the sectarian tensions in Mosul and elsewhere that enabled Islamic State to win support, and the threat of a wave of revenge violence in the city.

— isabel coles, The Christian Science Monitor, "After three years of ISIS dominance in Mosul, Iraqi PM announces victory," 10 July 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.