1
a
: a dissenting or schismatic religious body
especially
: one regarded as extreme or heretical
b
: a religious denomination
2
archaic
: sex sense 1
so is all her sect—
William Shakespeare
William ShakespeareExamples of sect in a Sentence
Noun
one sect of medical researchers holds the minority view that the disease is not caused by that virus
Recent Examples on the Web
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
The most important figure in determining the new reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is the second-highest authority in the Gelug sect, the Panchen Lama.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
The group said that the vast majority of people killed in the current clashes were from the Alawite sect and that women and children were executed by firing squad in the countryside near Tartus.
—Marin Scott, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025
Lebanese legislator Haidar Nasser, who holds one of the two seats allocated to the Alawite sect in parliament, said people were fleeing from Syria for safety in Lebanon.
—arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sect
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Both were enraged by federal actions during a 1992 standoff in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and the 1993 siege of a religious sect’s compound in Waco, Texas, both of which had turned deadly and inflamed far-right fears about federal intrusion on freedoms around guns and religion.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
The most important figure in determining the new reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is the second-highest authority in the Gelug sect, the Panchen Lama.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
The group said that the vast majority of people killed in the current clashes were from the Alawite sect and that women and children were executed by firing squad in the countryside near Tartus.
—Marin Scott, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025
Lebanese legislator Haidar Nasser, who holds one of the two seats allocated to the Alawite sect in parliament, said people were fleeing from Syria for safety in Lebanon.
—arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sect
Cite this Entry
“Sect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sect. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share