as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
there are people on both the left and the right who have staked out unyielding sectarian positions in this debate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in partisan
one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices
charged that the work of Congress has been stymied by sectarians who are indifferent to reason and intolerant of compromise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bigotry
stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices
an ideological sectarianism that prevented the political party from ever being anything more than a fringe group
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sectarian
James Durso, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Armed Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims have engaged in tribal and sectarian rivalry for decades over a land dispute in Kurram district near the Afghanistan border.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2024
Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, 20 June 2019
Lebanon’s unique sectarian make up and place in the region make its politics about local issues like jobs, infrastructure, and garbage collection as well as about regional rivalries and alliances.
—Ben Hubbard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for sectarian 
Adjective
Despite many challenges like reducing oil dependency, ensuring political stability amid sectarian divides and managing environmental crises, the Sudani government must focus on protecting the state.
—James Durso, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Armed Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims have engaged in tribal and sectarian rivalry for decades over a land dispute in Kurram district near the Afghanistan border.
—Reuters, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2024
Noun
Quite the contrary, the image of the cross makes the war memorial sectarian.
—Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, 20 June 2019
Lebanon’s unique sectarian make up and place in the region make its politics about local issues like jobs, infrastructure, and garbage collection as well as about regional rivalries and alliances.
—Ben Hubbard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for sectarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sectarian
Adjective
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This may seem like an impossible task in a world where politics is becoming more divisive, foreign policy more parochial, and social media bubbles more impenetrable.—
Harvey Whitehouse,
WIRED,
23 Jan. 2025
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For more than a century, religious education had been deeply entrenched in the state; in Cleveland, the parochial system was one of the largest in the country.—
Alec MacGillis,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Organized theft is no petty crime; these are not one-off crimes of desperation or a mom lifting a can of formula to feed her baby.—
Cailey Locklair,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Jan. 2025
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In November 2023, Pryer filed a motion to terminate her remaining two years of probation based on a recent court ruling which held that a defendant convicted of a single petty offense may not be sentenced to both imprisonment and probation.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The pig’s mouth revealed its ordinary sharp, tusk-like canines saddled up beside smaller, slightly more human-looking teeth nubs.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
7 Feb. 2025
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Negative thinking focuses all our thoughts and energy inward which in turn creates a small and narrow focus.—
Sandy Thibault,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Indeed, Fox News enjoys a narrower degree of separation from the Trump administration these days, owing to the fact that two former anchors, Pete Hegesth and Sean Duffy, have been approved to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2025
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These distinctive heels, characterized by a narrow base at the foot that widens toward the bottom, offer a bold and retro-inspired silhouette.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near sectarian
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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