sectarianism

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UK, US/sɛkˈtɛɹ.i.ən.ɪz.əm/

noun

Rigid adherence to a particular sect, denomination, ideology, or party.

“They were discussing sectarianism between Shias and Sunnis.”

Similar
denominationalism
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounsectarianism (countable and uncountable, plural sectarianisms)

plural sectarianisms

  1. countableuncountableRigid adherence to a particular sect, denomination, ideology, or party.

    They were discussing sectarianism between Shias and Sunnis.

    1 more example

    Our conversation is in French, since he downplays his ability to speak English “out of sectarianism”.

    2025 May 3, Leila Abboud, “Lunch with the FT: Jean-Luc Mélenchon”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3
  2. countableuncountablegovernmentA political system in which power is shared among religious sects based on a constitutional formula distributing public offices among these sects.

    In Lebanese sectarianism, one half of the members of parliament are Christians and the other half are Muslims.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna narrow-minded adherence to a particular sect or party or denomination

Similar
denominationalism
Broader
narrow-mindednessnarrowness
Also see
communalismdenominationalism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From sectarian + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic طَائِفِيَّة
  • طَائِفِيَّة (ṭāʔifiyya)rigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Chinese Mandarin 宗派主義 /宗派主义
  • 宗派主義 /宗派主义 (zōngpàizhǔyì)rigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Finnish lahkolaisuus
  • lahkolaisuusrigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
French sectarisme
  • sectarismerigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
German Sektierertum
  • Sektierertumrigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Japanese セクト主義, 分派主義
  • セクト主義 (sekuto-shugi)rigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
  • 分派主義 (bunpashugi)rigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Persian فرقهگرایی
  • فرقهگرایی (ferqe-gerâyi)rigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Polish sekciarstwo
  • sekciarstworigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Russian секта́нтство
  • секта́нтство (sektántstvo)rigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Spanish sectarismo
  • sectarismorigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Swedish sekterism
  • sekterismrigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination
Vietnamese chủ nghĩa bè phái
  • chủ nghĩa bè pháirigid adherence to a particular sect, party or denomination

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cartesianism
Cite this entry
APA

sectarianism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sectarianism

MLA

“sectarianism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sectarianism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sectarianism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sectarianism.

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