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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sectarian
Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
The rise of sectarian violence against Alawites – an offshoot of Shiite Islam – in neighboring Syria is a source of concern to many.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
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
Also, many officials expressed broad concern about the Kurdish fighters expected to enter Iran, saying that injecting sectarian conflict into the already combustible situation will be detrimental and also cause friction with Turkey, which fears Kurdish separatists.
—Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
The rise of sectarian violence against Alawites – an offshoot of Shiite Islam – in neighboring Syria is a source of concern to many.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 4 Mar. 2026
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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Necks craning to the back of the hall, a hush fell over the small parochial church of Santa María Trinitá on the African island of São Tomé.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
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Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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La Foce, a beautiful estate owned by the Origo family, who cultivated the gardens and harbored partisans during the Second World War, is a 15-minute drive away.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
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Primaries can sometimes be a collective balancing act for voters, between what partisans want in a candidate and the strategic approach of anticipating what the wider electorate might want in a candidate.—
Anthony Salvanto,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Kansas’ public officials should avoid the distractions of petty prejudices and focus on representing all their citizens.—
Darren Rosenblum,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Joe Cole, late of Peaky Blinders, plays Ethan, a former petty teen gangster from Las Vegas who has decamped to Los Angeles and made an honest man of himself.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some of the district's smallest elementary schools now serve only a couple of hundred students, limiting available resources.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Higher bond yields ripple through all kinds of credit markets, making everything from mortgages to small-business loans more expensive.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Plus Yosh Nijman, Ekwonu’s backup and the Panthers’ swing tackle, suddenly retired earlier this month — flinging the Panthers’ offensive line plan into even narrower straits.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
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As deductions narrow and dependents age out, Roth withdrawals become one of the cleanest sources of tax-free income available for the 62-to-70 age group.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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