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
There is no single Sharia code, similar to how there is no single body of law for the hundreds of Christian sects throughout the world.
—
Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
But this year, Christian leaders across sects—including Catholics, Evangelicals, and Baptists—sounded the alarm on AI’s potential impact on family, human relationships, labor, and the church itself.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
But Landor’s appeal is backed by dozens of 30 religious and civil rights groups from across the ideological spectrum and representing large and small sects.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
Just like there are many sects of Judaism or Christianity, there are many ways to be Muslim.
—Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
And Hezbollah, as the most heavily armed and violent element of Lebanon’s menagerie of factions and sects, wanted the guns without the responsibility.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
In Chinese myths, being an immortal can sort of feel like being a government employee — celestial bureaucracies make decisions that affect both the heavenly and mortal realms, and leaders of different immortal sects can engage in power plays and politics.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Frayne writes that some second- and third-century sects, such as the Encratites, Priscilliantists, and Manicheans, advocated against meat eating, typically as part of a broader asceticism that might also include celibacy.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025
The cruelties of the Islamic State, or ISIS, seem less idiosyncratic when compared with those of some governments and sects in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
But this year, Christian leaders across sects—including Catholics, Evangelicals, and Baptists—sounded the alarm on AI’s potential impact on family, human relationships, labor, and the church itself.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 23 Dec. 2025
But Landor’s appeal is backed by dozens of 30 religious and civil rights groups from across the ideological spectrum and representing large and small sects.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
Just like there are many sects of Judaism or Christianity, there are many ways to be Muslim.
—Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
And Hezbollah, as the most heavily armed and violent element of Lebanon’s menagerie of factions and sects, wanted the guns without the responsibility.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
In Chinese myths, being an immortal can sort of feel like being a government employee — celestial bureaucracies make decisions that affect both the heavenly and mortal realms, and leaders of different immortal sects can engage in power plays and politics.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Frayne writes that some second- and third-century sects, such as the Encratites, Priscilliantists, and Manicheans, advocated against meat eating, typically as part of a broader asceticism that might also include celibacy.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2025
The cruelties of the Islamic State, or ISIS, seem less idiosyncratic when compared with those of some governments and sects in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
—Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sects
Noun
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War is finally kicking into gear between these Targaryen factions.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
19 Feb. 2026
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France's broad political spectrum has long included far-left and far-right factions that harbor intense, sometimes violent disregard for each other, although deaths in clashes between them have been rare in recent decades.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Mountbatten-Windsor and Giuffre's settlement was confidential, the parties had said in a joint statement in the filing.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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The current law has also been used to prosecute secondary parties, such as journalists who allegedly encouraged public office holders to leak confidential information – something that the Law Commission said has generated significant controversy.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sects. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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