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
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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
-
That’s likely to change in Season 3, now that both factions have added key reinforcements.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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The universe built for the manga – its characters, factions, and lore – also underpins Azuki TCG, the company’s trading card game, which topped $1 million in direct-to-player presales before its retail release.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
But thousands still had a chance to celebrate at watch parties across the city, including one in Brooklyn where fans turned an early morning bar crowd into a full-on celebration.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Rooms sleep up to five or six guests, with connecting rooms available for even larger parties.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sects. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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