as in factions
a group of people acting together within a larger group
one sect of medical researchers holds the minority view that the disease is not caused by that virus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 sects
The Christian religion was only tolerated in the communist dictatorship, and other religious sects were forbidden.
—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
11 June 2026
In an unrelated development, an umbrella group of Hasidic Jewish sects in Williamsburg endorsed Reynoso.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2026
Some sects of the entertainment industry have tackled AI head-on, including the aforementioned Aniston's Friends costar Lisa Kudrow, whose third and final season of the HBO comedy The Comeback entirely revolved around a story about the dangers of AI writing an entire sitcom.
—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
In Tyre, long held up by locals as a model of coexistence among Lebanon’s various sects, Israeli occupation and bombardment were not weakening Hezbollah’s case for its weapons.
—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Netflix has become the place for documentaries about true crime, but also documentaries about cults and sects.
—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
10 Apr. 2026
For one, Israel’s targeting and displacement of the Shiite community in southern Lebanon is likely to create friction among Lebanon’s various religious sects.
—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Shia Islam is the majority religion in Iran, but the constitution recognizes Sunni Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity as minority sects, with each represented in parliament.
—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
With 12 Christian sects, the country is home to the largest proportion of Christians of any nation in the Arab world.
—
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
11 June 2026
In an unrelated development, an umbrella group of Hasidic Jewish sects in Williamsburg endorsed Reynoso.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2026
Some sects of the entertainment industry have tackled AI head-on, including the aforementioned Aniston's Friends costar Lisa Kudrow, whose third and final season of the HBO comedy The Comeback entirely revolved around a story about the dangers of AI writing an entire sitcom.
—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
In Tyre, long held up by locals as a model of coexistence among Lebanon’s various sects, Israeli occupation and bombardment were not weakening Hezbollah’s case for its weapons.
—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Netflix has become the place for documentaries about true crime, but also documentaries about cults and sects.
—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
10 Apr. 2026
For one, Israel’s targeting and displacement of the Shiite community in southern Lebanon is likely to create friction among Lebanon’s various religious sects.
—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
8 Apr. 2026
Shia Islam is the majority religion in Iran, but the constitution recognizes Sunni Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity as minority sects, with each represented in parliament.
—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
With 12 Christian sects, the country is home to the largest proportion of Christians of any nation in the Arab world.
—
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sects
Noun
-
Ultranationalist factions, once allied with Britain’s Euroskeptics, have come to the fore across the Continent.
-
Two competing measures designed to cap hospital executives’ pay and limit healthcare union political activities won’t appear on voters’ ballots in November after the rival factions reached a deal to remove them.
Noun
-
With the passage of Thursday’s law, both sides have agreed to pull their respective measures from the November ballot, halting campaigns that had both parties amassing tens of millions in funding and blanketing the airwaves with ads.
-
Fu declined to comment by phone, and CBS News Atlanta had not received responses from the remaining parties by the time of publication.
Cite this Entry
“Sects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sects. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
