as in bigotry
stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices
an ideological sectarianism that prevented the political party from ever being anything more than a fringe group
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sectarianism
Noun
-
Trump had hoped to spotlight the benefit fraud both to bolster his case for immigration enforcement and also because of his outspoken bigotry toward Somalis.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026 -
White supremacy, anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry and misogyny are making comebacks while the wealth gap is wider than ever.—
Megan Thiele Strong,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But for the audience the scariest revelation in the conversation isn’t his dogmatism.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
-
That — metaphorically and literally — is earned dogmatism, the risk that expertise breeds rigidity in our thinking and decision-making.—
Tim Maurer,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In a time when polarization and intolerance threaten the democratic fabric of our nation, the image of a Seder at the Freedom Tower offers a different vision, one of solidarity rooted in shared experience.—
Brian Siegal,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Orson Scott Card wrote a whole series preoccupied with the devastating results of interspecies misunderstanding and intolerance, then followed it up with various noxious statements cementing his homophobia.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But in both cases there is something darker underneath the surface, revealing the prejudices and debts the characters couldn’t leave behind in the city.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In February 2024, the woman dropped her lawsuit against the musicians, filing to dismiss it with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The political climate that the film examines, one of extreme partisanship, has only heightened in the years since.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Graves said redistricting in his home state, nor the breakdown in decorum and hyper-partisanship of Congress, factored into his decision to retire.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Orban and Putin once shared a close working relationship, grounded in energy deals and mutual illiberalism.—
NIC CHEESEMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Space warfare, cyber defense, mass migration, corruption, and illiberalism require fluency, adaptability, empathy, and collaboration.—
Loree Sutton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The university has defended a formula used to select the participants and denied allegations of bias.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
What participants in these discussions need to remember is that--as has been said often--truth has a liberal bias.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Sectarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarianism. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
