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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sectarian
Tricia Escobedo, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
If a site is damaged or vandalized, the group will repair it themselves, hoping to avoid an escalation into sectarian conflict between the Christian community and their Sunni neighbors.
—Chris Massaro, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
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
The attacks on the village, where swathes of farmland surround small clusters of buildings, reveal fresh details about the intensity of some of the sectarian violence that swept Syria’s coast earlier this month.
—Tricia Escobedo, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
If a site is damaged or vandalized, the group will repair it themselves, hoping to avoid an escalation into sectarian conflict between the Christian community and their Sunni neighbors.
—Chris Massaro, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
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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For the Americans working in Germany, the industry chain of command conflicted with cultural politics — Americans held parochial views about their post–World War II national superiority.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 Feb. 2025
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Currently the parochial vicar at St. Lucy Parish in Campbell, Rev. Pedigo formerly served as pastor at St. Julie Billiart and Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Jose.—
Sal Pizarro,
The Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Indeed, much of what Newsom talked about was immediately cheered by the very partisans who usually loathe him.—
Lanhee J. Chen,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2025
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But as a matter of context, there is a difference between the principled partisans of the early republic, the professional analysts of the 20th century, and an owner who demands his media outlet’s opinions should be limited to his preferences.—
Joseph Jones,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Mixed in with small pleasures and petty disputes with her older sister are true feats of survival and bravery.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
22 Mar. 2025
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Gangs stop petty thievery in their own neighborhoods.—
Walter E Block,
Orange County Register,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With any luck, a little digestive distress will be just a small trade-off for getting past your illness and feeling like yourself again.—
Beth Krietsch,
SELF,
7 Apr. 2025
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Nudie Jeans has a big idea for a new small retail concept.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The narrow five-game spread between the top and bottom performers illustrates the relative consistency in baseline predictive ability.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Any migrant can individually bring a claim, Harris argued, but only in Texas where they're being held, and only along narrower grounds.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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