DictionaryRoot: secta
Latin

secta

religious group

1 / 1
A tense division between two Christian congregations across a street barrier, with distinct clergy and church crosses establishing religious groups rather than an ordinary political vote.
adjective / noun

sectarian

sek-TAIR-ee-un/sekˈteriən/

Relating to a particular sect or faction, or a person devoted to it.

Etymology

From “religious group,” sectarian first described belonging to a breakaway sect. Its extension to attachment to a particular sect helps explain its emphasis on group loyalties and divisions.

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