Sectarian

When:

Lookups spiked on June 18, 2014.

Why:

As the Sunni militant group known as ISIS continues its fast-moving takeover of northern Iraq, the conflict between Sunni and Shiite groups has become more violent. As reported in The Washington Post:

"There is a real risk of further sectarian violence on a massive scale," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned Tuesday as he urged Iraqi political and religious leaders to avoid incitement.

Sectarian means "relating to religious or political sects and the differences between them." It derives from sect, a word that means "group" or "faction" that comes from the Latin term meaning "to follow."