as in faction
a group of people acting together within a larger group
one sect of medical researchers holds the minority view that the disease is not caused by that virus
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Recent Examples of sect
The Assads come from the minority Alawite sect and their rule was characterized by its exploitation of sectarian divisions in the Sunni-majority country and violent suppression of dissent.
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Chad De Guzman, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
The aircraft initially flew toward Syria's coastal region, a stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect, before making an abrupt U-turn and disappearing from tracking systems.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
Videos circulating online showed a highway jammed with cars full of people fleeing Homs, a city with a large population belonging to Assad’s Alawite sect, seen as his core supporters.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Ordinary humans are known as Verity, and the two sects are explicitly forbidden from mixing.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sect 
Chad De Guzman, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
The aircraft initially flew toward Syria's coastal region, a stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect, before making an abrupt U-turn and disappearing from tracking systems.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
Videos circulating online showed a highway jammed with cars full of people fleeing Homs, a city with a large population belonging to Assad’s Alawite sect, seen as his core supporters.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Ordinary humans are known as Verity, and the two sects are explicitly forbidden from mixing.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sect
Noun
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What's next: Trump is set to meet with several factions of House Republican lawmakers to try to bridge the divide among them.Andrew Solender, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
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But the war between two factions of Sudan’s military has made things vastly worse.Kate Okorie, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Under either scenario, whether the party can stay together to pass the tax cut extensions, along with other key priorities, remains to be seen.Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2025
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The longest-serving member of the majority party typically receives this honorary role, in this case Grassley.Lauren Peller, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The 21-year-old wing posted 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting (made 4 of 6 from 3), five rebounds and four assists in a win in his second game in the G League.Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
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During his administration, his progressive wing of Baptists would begin to give way to an ascendant conservative movement — in today’s shorthand, the evangelical vote — that played a key role in his 1980 defeat.Bill Marsh, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Though Trump's strategy for ending the war remains unclear, both sides appear eager to secure territorial gains ahead of potential peace negotiations.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
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But Vrabel’s background is on the defensive side of the ball, and the Bears may be more inclined to pursue a candidate who can build an offense around Williams’ skill set.Phil Rogers, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sect. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
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