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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sectarian
E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Demonstrators called for the country’s leaders to step down over widespread corruption, government paralysis and failing infrastructure, and for an end to the country’s sectarian power-sharing system.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 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 is to say that a small but very loud part of the fandom (and its antis) has broken into ugly sectarian warfare.
—E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Demonstrators called for the country’s leaders to step down over widespread corruption, government paralysis and failing infrastructure, and for an end to the country’s sectarian power-sharing system.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 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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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
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Democrats who opposed the bill, however, said the money would mainly go to private or parochial institutions and is part of the Republican caucus's efforts to direct money into private education.—
Keely Doll,
Louisville Courier Journal,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Travelers can also take additional steps by staying vigilant for petty crime, and moving throughout the city with extra awareness.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Although discrepancies are smaller in data-rich regions such as Western Europe and the eastern United States, where robust local monitoring has kept projections more closely calibrated, the study identifies the West Coast of North America as a region where sea levels have also been underestimated.—
Marcos Magaña,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Violas have smaller flowers and stay shorter.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Zero tankers transited the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday, a narrow channel just off Iran’s southern coast that’s normally packed with an armada of 60 or more ships carrying 20% of the world’s oil.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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The narrow Strait is the only way for tankers to enter and exit the Persian Gulf.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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