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
Relevance
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sectarian
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, sectarian violence, terrorist groups and a civil war have ravaged Syria, whose dictator, Bashar al-Assad, fled in 2024 after two plus-decades of repressive rule.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 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
Tribalism along sectarian lines has long been a reality in both Lebanon and Syria, Boulos notes.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, sectarian violence, terrorist groups and a civil war have ravaged Syria, whose dictator, Bashar al-Assad, fled in 2024 after two plus-decades of repressive rule.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 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
-
But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The school, a private parochial campus overseen by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, had 390 students in kindergarten through eighth grade in 2025, according to its website.—
Nick El Hajj,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Examples of petty beatings also abound, like footage from December showing two guys in Leeds, UK tossing a delivery robot into a bush, or video of one bot cracked open and left for dead on a Los Angeles sidewalk.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
2 Apr. 2026
-
His distracted state gave him practically no leverage to overcome Senate President Bill Ferguson’s blockade against his petty redistricting effort.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But everything is silky and precise to the touch, and the sound astonishingly full and sweet in the small room, with the strain of an accordion coming in through the open window.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Handcrafted in small batches, these blends are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Outside of the narrow narrative of two Western Conference teams playing for identity and clarity ahead of the postseason next week looms a larger picture.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Spring visitors have a narrow window to explore before the green hills go brown, summer heat arrives and the education center closes for six months beginning June 1.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
