sectarian
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.relating to the differences and conflicts between different religious or political groups.
adj.relating to or arising from differences between religious sects or political factions, often implying conflict.
Simple“The country has suffered from sectarian violence for many years.”
In context“The peace treaty aimed to dismantle the sectarian divisions that had plagued the region's political landscape for decades.”
UsageCommonly modifies nouns like 'violence', 'conflict', 'strife', or 'divide'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.having very strong and narrow beliefs that make you unwilling to listen to other ideas.
adj.adhering rigidly to a particular set of doctrines; narrow-minded or parochial in outlook.
Simple“He was criticized for his sectarian approach to the new policy.”
In context“The professor warned against a sectarian interpretation of the text, urging students to consider broader historical contexts.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a person who strongly supports a specific religious or political group.
n.a member of a particular sect, especially one who is perceived as narrow-minded or bigoted.
Simple“The sectarians refused to meet with leaders from other churches.”
In context“Historians noted that the sectarians were more interested in internal purity than in forming a broad coalition.”
Synonyms
“The director of the French Biblical and Archaeological School, where the nun is a researcher, called the assault an "act of sectarian violence".”
“In July 2025, more than 1,700 people were killed in massacres in the Druze-majority province of Suweida when local fighting evolved into sectarian killings.”
From Medieval Latin sectarius + -an. Its corresponding etymology per the first sense is sect + -arian.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.