sectarian
sek-TAIR-ee-uhn
/sekˈteə.ri.ən/
Denoting or concerning a sect or sects; rigidly confined to the narrow interests of a particular group.
Carries a strong negative connotation of narrow-mindedness, parochial conflict, and tribal hostility between factions.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'secta', meaning a path, discipline, or school of thought (from 'sequi', to follow). Over time, as splinter groups broke off from established religious bodies, 'sectarian' took on the negative tone of insular and combative tribalism.
Word relationships
- parochial: Emphasizes narrow, limited scope rather than active tribal conflict.
- factional: Focuses on internal divisions within a political body.
- ecumenical: Representing or promoting unity among different churches or groups.
- universal: Applicable or open to all people everywhere.
Commonly confused with
- secular: Secular means non-religious; sectarian means rigidly bound to a specific religious or political sub-group.
Word family
- sectarianism (noun): Excessive devotion to a particular sect or faction.
- sect (noun): A subgroup of a religious or political belief system.
Collocations
- sectarian violence
- sectarian strife
- sectarian divide
Example sentences
- "The region was plunged into violent sectarian conflict following the collapse of the central government." International news report
- "The candidate appealed to broad civic unity rather than partisan, sectarian interests." Political commentary
Memory hook
A SECTARIAN cuts off their SECTOR from the rest of the world. Loyalty to the faction above all.
When not to use
Do not use to describe general diversity or neutral sub-groups; it implies friction and narrow partisanship.
Fun facts
- Though 'sectarian' looks like 'section' (cut), its etymological root is actually 'sequi' (to follow)—those who follow a specific leader.
Related words
Explore more words
partisan, bigotry, partisanship, dogmatic, schism, parochialism
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.