as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
there are people on both the left and the right who have staked out unyielding sectarian positions in this debate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in partisan
one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices
charged that the work of Congress has been stymied by sectarians who are indifferent to reason and intolerant of compromise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bigotry
stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices
an ideological sectarianism that prevented the political party from ever being anything more than a fringe group
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of sectarian
James Longman, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2024
In Lebanon’s complex sectarian society – divided in broad terms between Shia and Sunni Muslims, Christians and Druze – many parts of the population do not support Hezbollah.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2024
Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, 20 June 2019
Lebanon’s unique sectarian make up and place in the region make its politics about local issues like jobs, infrastructure, and garbage collection as well as about regional rivalries and alliances.
—Ben Hubbard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for sectarian 
Adjective
The country is built on delicate sectarian foundations, with Shiite Muslims, Sunni Muslims and Christians still sharing power from the deal that ended the civil war in 1990.
—James Longman, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2024
In Lebanon’s complex sectarian society – divided in broad terms between Shia and Sunni Muslims, Christians and Druze – many parts of the population do not support Hezbollah.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2024
Noun
Quite the contrary, the image of the cross makes the war memorial sectarian.
—Robert Barnes, Anchorage Daily News, 20 June 2019
Lebanon’s unique sectarian make up and place in the region make its politics about local issues like jobs, infrastructure, and garbage collection as well as about regional rivalries and alliances.
—Ben Hubbard, BostonGlobe.com, 7 May 2018
See all Example Sentences for sectarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sectarian
Adjective
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There are literally thousands of other Americans worldwide who have dedicated their lives in similar ways to causes that are more consequential than parochial nationalism.Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
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Slipknot have since gone multi-platinum, founded their own music festival, and stretched far beyond their parochial metal scene into persistent cultural relevance.Emma Madden, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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There is a long tradition of petty smuggling in the region.Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
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Despite the emotional celebration, the Raptors’ Global Ambassador still had some petty energy to put into the air.Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Researchers trained rats to jog on a treadmill To scientifically measure that observation, researchers captured two dozen vampire bats from Belize and trained them to use a small treadmill typically used to measure the metabolic rates of rats.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
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His priorities include veterans’ rights, advocating for small businesses, protecting the border and education, according to his campaign website. AD-64 includes a portion of Los Angeles County and La Habra in Orange County.Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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In that race, the popular vote split between Bush and Gore by a very small margin — much narrower than in 2016.Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024
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True lilies produce one stem and have narrow, strappy leaves.Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near sectarian
Cite this Entry
“Sectarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sectarian. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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