sectarianism
nounUK, US /sɛkˈtɛɹ.i.ən.ɪz.əm/
Etymology From sectarian + -ism.
1
Rigid adherence to a particular sect, denomination, ideology, or party.
- They were discussing sectarianism between Shias and Sunnis.
- 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
Government, Politics A 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.
- Derived terms
- anti-sectarianism, unsectarianism