as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
there are people on both the left and the right who have staked out unyielding sectarian positions in this debate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in partisan
one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices
charged that the work of Congress has been stymied by sectarians who are indifferent to reason and intolerant of compromise
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sectarian
Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 2 May 2025
This week’s sectarian violence began on Tuesday with clashes between Druze and Sunni gunmen in the predominantly Druze area of Jaramana, set off by a voice recording cursing the Prophet Mohammad and which the Sunni militants suspected was made by a Druze.
—Reuters, NBC news, 2 May 2025
Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, 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, 7 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for sectarian
Adjective
The New York Times: Israel launched airstrikes on Syria amid a spreading wave of sectarian violence in areas dominated by the Druse minority.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 2 May 2025
This week’s sectarian violence began on Tuesday with clashes between Druze and Sunni gunmen in the predominantly Druze area of Jaramana, set off by a voice recording cursing the Prophet Mohammad and which the Sunni militants suspected was made by a Druze.
—Reuters, NBC news, 2 May 2025
Noun
Quite the contrary, the image of the cross makes the war memorial sectarian.
—Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, 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, 7 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for sectarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sectarian
Adjective
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It could not be fenced off and become a parochial one now.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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Investors might want to be less parochial just as political policy becomes increasingly so.—
Ron Insana,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After a nine-month war, in which India sided with the Bengali partisans, Pakistan was defeated and an independent Bangladesh was declared in March 1971.—
Simon Montlake,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 May 2025
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In 2016, Clinton became an active partisan in support of his wife, Hillary Clinton, during her unsuccessful bid for president.—
Peter Kastor,
The Conversation,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Each encounter brings four options for how to beat that opponent, a prime opportunity to make petty jokes.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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As a result, defendants in Colorado’s municipal courts can face much longer sentences than those in state court for the same petty offenses, The Denver Post previously found.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Atkinson took up golf for the first time and renewed his connection to scientific research, not the least of which was how a small white ball repeatedly avoids a hole in the ground.—
Barbara Bry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2025
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The Court of International Trade previously rejected the small businesses' request to temporarily pause the tariffs while their lawsuit went forward, but then quickly scheduled Tuesday’s court hearing to decide whether to rule against the tariffs or impose a longer-term pause.—
Dietrich Knauth,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Sherrill has held a consistent yet narrow lead in recent surveys.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
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This was a narrow approach, aimed at providing vouchers for students in districts that were in receivership (a sort of financial takeover primarily for financial issues).—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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