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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sectarianism
Noun
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Black people and Jewish people are tied in their burden as targets of abiding oppression and bigotry and, for decades, co-warriors in the fight for civil rights and social justice.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026 -
Fishback’s rhetoric couches religious bigotry in the language of economic populism.—
Steven Burg,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But for the audience the scariest revelation in the conversation isn’t his dogmatism.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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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
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For good measure, Grenell also accused the musician of intolerance and ridiculed him for being unpopular.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Plus, probiotic foods aren’t ideal for everyone—including those with histamine intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or active gut issues.—
Michele Ross,
SELF,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But in the early days, the community had to overcome outside prejudice and fear (BBC).—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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Federal prosecutors later dropped the charges filed against her with prejudice.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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From start to finish, ugly hyper-partisanship was on full display.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Feb. 2026
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The polls served as a point of reference for journalists and tracked data on partisanship and other rapid public opinion moves during a president's term, USA TODAY reported.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Orban and Putin once shared a close working relationship, grounded in energy deals and mutual illiberalism.—
NIC CHEESEMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
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Space warfare, cyber defense, mass migration, corruption, and illiberalism require fluency, adaptability, empathy, and collaboration.—
Loree Sutton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The proposal would mandate harsher penalties for crimes motivated by political bias, including some misdemeanors.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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But don’t let recency bias drag you into a pit of despair.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Sectarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarianism. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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