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
ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
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
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
The prospect of hundreds of thousands of Shiites on the move has inflamed Lebanese sensitivities about the country’s fragile sectarian balance.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
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
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
-
Of course, the ever-parochial instincts of Chicago, where neighborhood loyalties rule and aldermen are fiercely protective of their ward domains, means the decision on the location of any future Leo landmark could be contentious.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Besides, the budget has a little something for every lawmaker, with about 2,000 parochial projects sprinkled across the state, the vast majority sponsored by Republicans.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
With a large pack of Democrats running and just two serious Republican contenders, Democratic partisans feared their fractured vote would let the GOP nab both spots in Tuesday’s top-two primary.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Tribalism renders too many partisans unable to think ahead more than one election.—
Washington Post Editorial Board,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, Uthemier’s lawsuit bears telltale signs of DeSantis’ bigotry and anti-diversity, anti-equality and anti-inclusion mania.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2026
-
Any dissent, any disagreement with any part of it can lead to instant accusations of transphobia, hate and bigotry.—
Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a conversation ends without a real answer, when a situation is explained away rather than actually explained, the discomfort is not neurotic or petty.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
Mary disrupts Clark’s equilibrium with the Backrooms by refusing to validate his excuses for his behavior, fully calling out his failings, his petty assholery, and his glib, solipsistic lies.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
But for the audience the scariest revelation in the conversation isn’t his dogmatism.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Goodson says that individuals with histamine intolerance may experience symptoms like headaches or digestive discomfort when consuming fermented foods, as these products can be naturally high in histamines.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
-
This is just another clear indication of the intolerance and hypocritical nature of the left.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie told CNN that rescue divers were teaching the villagers how to dive out of the cave themselves, as the space is narrow and water levels are not coming down despite efforts to pump the water out.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Delegates to the state conventions don’t mirror the broader electorate, and their candidate selections can often represent more narrow preference of the party base.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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