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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sect
Unlike Sunni Muslims, Alawites do not pray in mosques but instead have their own places of worship; in addition to not requiring women to wear the hijab, the Alawite sect also does not have any dietary restrictions and does not prohibit alcohol.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Africa’s biggest Shiite Muslim sect, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, staged protests over the attacks on Shiite-majority Iran.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Most Buddhist sects acknowledge the spiritual significance of relics even if some teachers have tried to shift the focus to Buddha's teachings that emphasize mindfulness and kindness.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
Their ideology spilled across countries and continents and even reached other Islamic sects, including rival Sunnis.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sect
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Africa’s biggest Shiite Muslim sect, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, staged protests over the attacks on Shiite-majority Iran.
—Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Most Buddhist sects acknowledge the spiritual significance of relics even if some teachers have tried to shift the focus to Buddha's teachings that emphasize mindfulness and kindness.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
Their ideology spilled across countries and continents and even reached other Islamic sects, including rival Sunnis.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sect
Noun
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Boko Haram has since become stronger, with thousands of fighters and different factions, including the Islamic State West Africa Province, which is backed by the Islamic State group.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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On the other is a more traditional faction — Ben Shapiro, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and the Turning Point USA orbit — that, while firmly right-wing, has drawn a clearer line against overt conspiracy theories and antisemitic framing.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are certainly areas for all parties to improve, Hernandez said.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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There are a lot of issues in government that can be the subject of reasonable and well-informed discussion, where different parties might fall on different answers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The French capital has had a left-wing leadership for 25 years.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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The primary suite is contained within its own wing on the second floor, with two walk-in closets and a bath with a skylight, soaking tub, and separate water closets.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After testing the 2025 MacBook Pro with Apple's M5 CPU, here's my in-depth, side-by-side comparison with last year's M4 MacBook on performance, features, and value.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
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Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, has come under tremendous fire from all sides.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sect. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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