sectarian Hear it!

sectarian definition

sec·tar·ian (sek ter′ē ən)

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of a sect
  2. devoted to, or prejudiced in favor of, some sect
  3. narrow-minded; limited; parochial

Etymology: < sectary + -an

noun

  1. Obsolete an apostate from an established church
  2. a member of any religious sect
  3. a person who is blindly and narrow-mindedly devoted to a sect

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

sectarian Synonyms

sectarian

modif.

denominational, narrow-minded, limited, parochial, prejudiced, bigoted; see also dogmatic 2.


sectarian

n.

dissenter, nonconformist, partisan, zealot, rebel; see also protestant, skeptic.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

sectarian Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • leave: How would you characterize the 68 who weren't Brit left sectarians?

Adjective modifier

  • hopeless: From then on it is clear that he regarded them as hopeless sectarians.

Modifies a noun

  • strife: Heavy security was meant to lower the ever-present danger of sectarian strife at a festival with a bloody history.

Modifying Another Word

  • increasingly: The unions became increasingly sectarian, increasingly materialist, until they deserved as well as received their defeat at the hands of Margaret Thatcher.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: In sociological terms, the religion became more sectarian.

Preposition: in

  • nature: People have sectarian stereotypes because they grew up and live in a society which is sectarian in nature.
sectarian usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"sectarian." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/sectarian>

APA Style

sectarian. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/sectarian

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