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
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Recent Examples of sectarian
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Tribalism along sectarian lines has long been a reality in both Lebanon and Syria, Boulos notes.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 19 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
This Council on Foreign Relations report breaks down the sectarian drivers of wars that have reshaped the Middle East.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Tribalism along sectarian lines has long been a reality in both Lebanon and Syria, Boulos notes.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 19 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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Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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The unprecedented corruption and self-dealing in the White House and the President’s family go entirely without oversight by partisans who once complained about Hunter Biden.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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This rhetoric is not just the thoughtless ramblings of mindless partisans.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Greenberg suggests this remains a useful lens for looking at bigotry today.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
8 May 2026
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But the Ohio gubernatorial candidate who clinched his party’s nomination this week alluded to bigotry on the right in his opening message to a town hall full of young Republicans.—
Hannah Knowles,
Washington Post,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Set in Gaza in 2007, and following the misadventures of a student (Nader Abd Alhay) and restaurant owner and petty criminal (Majd Eid), the picture premiered in Un Certain Regard last year and won the Best Director prize.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
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On Monday, the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa, a former national police chief who first enforced then President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug crackdowns, in which thousands of mostly petty suspects were killed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Noun
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By staying so close to black metal’s core sound, Marchenko does more to undermine the dogmatism—both racial and aesthetic—of Vikernes and his ilk than a more obviously experimental project might.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Eggs, sushi, and crypto The account paid attention to smaller stories, too.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
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East is a boutique hotel, some condos, and a small residential neighborhood with a few local restaurants.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Noun
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These examples might seem to highlight intolerance and suppressed speech on campus.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
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In people with lactose intolerance, the body doesn’t produce enough of an enzyme called lactase, which is needed to break down lactose so it can be absorbed.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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The five-time Masters champ was arrested March 27 on a DUI charge after the crash, which occurred when his Land Rover SUV attempted to pass a pickup truck pulling a pressure-cleaner trailer on a narrow, two-lane road in the Treasure Coast town.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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The company also topped revenue expectations for the first quarter and posted a narrower-than-expected loss than analysts anticipated, according to FactSet.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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