ethnosectarian

E1T1H4N1O1S1E1C3T1A1R1I1A1N1
UK/ɛθnə(ʊ)sɛkˈtɛəɹɪən/

adjective

Being both sectarian and specific to ethnic identities.

Scrabble 19

Meanings

adjectiveethnosectarian (comparative more ethnosectarian, superlative most ethnosectarian)

comparative more ethnosectarian · superlative most ethnosectarian

  1. Being both sectarian and specific to ethnic identities.

    Given that military intervention has deepened rather than weakened ethnosectarian divisions, the intriguing question becomes whether that was the game plan all along.

    2006 December, Ray Taras, “The (Il)logic of intervention in Iraq: sectarianism, civil war, and the U.S. game plan”, in International Journal on World Peace, volume 23, number 4, pages 33–60
    4 more examples

    Since it is clear that no amount of modernization is likely to eliminate (through total assimilation) minority solidarity groups, the possibility for ethnosectarian conflict remains a constant danger should the conflict-precipitating circumstances arise.

    1977, Michael C. Hudson, Arab Politics: The Search for Legitimacy, Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 79

    The political and economic history (especially post-Islamic) of Southwest, Central, and South Asia is marked by episodic ethnosectarian persecutions and massive forced and voluntary movements of the various population groupings.

    1987, M. Jamil Hanifi, "Rejoinder to Ahmed," American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 89, No. 2 (Jun., 1987), pg. 453

    Moreover, language, discourse, and dialogue, their definition and mobilisation, create chains of equivalence which enclose subjects within not only ethnosectarian but at times entirely self-referential and self-sustained notions of identity, practice and collective devotion.

    2002, Peter Shirlow, “Sinn Féin: Beyond; within Containment” (chapter 4), in Stefan Wolff, Jörg Neuheiser, editors, Peace at Last?: The Impact of the Good Friday Agreement on Northern Ireland, Berghahn Books, →ISBN, page 62

    "What Iraq needs is leaders who have deep roots here, who have proven themselves to be effective and trusted by the Iraqi public," says Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar, a Governing Council member who represents a large tribal confederation. "The most important thing that should happen is we should stop looking at Iraq through this ethnosectarian lens."

    2004 April 19, Dan Murphy, “Iraq violence gives UN new clout”, in Christian Science Monitor

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*swé
  2. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*swe-dʰh₁-
  4. Proto-Hellenic*séswōtʰa
  5. Ancient Greekἔθω (éthō)
  6. Ancient Greekἔθνος (éthnos)
  7. Englishethno-
  8. Englishsectarian
  9. Englishethnosectarian

From ethno- + sectarian.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ethnosectarian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnosectarian

MLA

“ethnosectarian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnosectarian. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ethnosectarian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ethnosectarian.

Source: ethnosectarian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.