sect

C2+ Topic:The Human Body

US /sɛkt/ UK /sɛkt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a group with distinct beliefs that has separated from a larger body

The reformist sect broke away over doctrinal disputes.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a group with distinct... denomination faction cult schism order sodality

Word family

Derived forms sectarian sectary

Related forms sectarian sectarianism

Simplified etymology

Sect entered Middle English with the original sense “a following.” It ultimately derives from Latin sequi “to follow,” the same root found in second, persecute, and sequel.

Etymology

From Latin 'secta' ('a way, course, school of thought'), from 'sequi' ('to follow'); influenced in form by association with 'secare' ('to cut').

secta Latin sequi Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

The Human Body

External links

# sect

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /sɛkt/
**IPA (UK):** /sɛkt/

## Meanings
1. a group with distinct beliefs that has separated from a larger body

## Examples
- The reformist sect broke away over doctrinal disputes.

## Synonyms
- denomination
- faction
- cult
- schism
- order
- sodality

## Derived Forms
- sectarian
- sectary

## Related Forms
- sectarian
- sectarianism

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: secta
- Root: sequi

## Etymology
From Latin 'secta' ('a way, course, school of thought'), from 'sequi' ('to follow'); influenced in form by association with 'secare' ('to cut').

## AI Etymology
Sect is from Latin 'secta' ('a way, course, school of thought'), from 'sequi' ('to follow'); influenced in form by association with 'secare' ('to cut'). Important recorded forms include secta (Latin) and sequi (Latin). The current sense covers a group with distinct beliefs that has separated from a larger body. The wider family includes derived forms such as sectarian and sectary and related words such as sectarian and sectarianism.

## Topics
- The Human Body

markdown