sect

1 of 2

noun

ˈsekt 

1

a

: a dissenting or schismatic religious body

especially : one regarded as extreme or heretical

b

: a religious denomination

2

archaic : sex sense 1

so is all her sect

—William Shakespeare

3

a

: a group adhering to a distinctive doctrine or to a leader

b

: party

c

: faction

sect

2 of 2

abbreviation

section; sectional

Synonyms

Noun

• bloc
• block
• body
• coalition
• faction
• party
• set
• side
• wing

Examples of sect in a Sentence

Noun

one sect of medical researchers holds the minority view that the disease is not caused by that virus

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Protests by members of the Alawite community, the minority sect the Assad family belongs to, erupted last week in Homs after video showing an Alawite shrine in Aleppo being vandalized circulated online. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 31 Dec. 2024

Guatemalan officials raided a compound on Friday belonging to Lev Tahor, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect with past links to child exploitation. —Jody García, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2024

Hafez al-Assad, a secular nationalist from the minority Alawite sect, ran Syria tyrannically from 1971 until his death, in 2000. —Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024

Authorities say Bateman sought to establish a new sect in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, communities historically tied to the FLDS. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English secte, from Anglo-French & Late Latin & Latin; Anglo-French, group, faction, from Late Latin secta organized ecclesiastical body, from Latin, course of action, way of life, probably from sectari to pursue, frequentative of sequi to follow — more at sue

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

sect

noun

ˈsekt

1

a

: a religious group having beliefs that differ greatly from those of the main body

b

: a religious body consisting of members having similar beliefs

2

a

: a group of people having the same beliefs or following the same leader

b

: party sense 1

c

: faction