 5 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
sect
noun
1: a subdivision of a larger religious group [syn: {religious
sect}, {religious order}]
2: a dissenting clique [syn: {faction}]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Sect \Sect\ (s[e^]kt), noun [L. secare, sectum, to cut.]
A cutting; a scion. [Obs.] --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Sect \Sect\ (s[e^]kt), noun [F. secte, L. secta, fr. sequi to
follow; often confused with L. secare, sectum, to cut. See
{Sue} to follow, and cf. {Sept}, {Suit}, noun]
Those following a particular leader or authority, or attached
to a certain opinion; a company or set having a common belief
or allegiance distinct from others; in religion, the
believers in a particular creed, or upholders of a particular
practice; especially, in modern times, a party dissenting
from an established church; a denomination; in philosophy,
the disciples of a particular master; a school; in society
and the state, an order, rank, class, or party.
He beareth the sign of poverty,
And in that sect our Savior saved all mankind. --Piers
Plowman.
As of the sect of which that he was born,
He kept his lay, to which that he was sworn. --Chaucer.
The cursed sect of that detestable and false prophet
Mohammed. --Fabyan.
As concerning this sect [Christians], we know that
everywhere it is spoken against. --Acts xxviii.
22.
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
62 Moby Thesaurus words for "sect":
Babi, Babism, Bahaism, Brahmanism, Brahmoism, Buddhism,
Chen Yen Buddhism, Christianity, adherents, affiliation,
anthroposophy, body, branch, breakaway group, cabal, camp, caucus,
church, class, clique, communion, community, confession,
connection, creed, cult, denomination, disciples, division,
ethnic group, faction, faith, fellowship, followers, group,
interest, interest group, ism, minority group, offshoot, order,
organization, party, persuasion, political party, pressure group,
religious order, schism, school, school of thought, sectarism,
segment, set, side, silent majority, society, splinter,
splinter group, variety, version, vocal minority, wing
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Sect
(Gr. hairesis, usually rendered "heresy", Acts 24:14; 1 Chr.
11:19; Gal. 5:20, etc.), meaning properly "a choice," then "a
chosen manner of life," and then "a religious party," as the
"sect" of the Sadducees (Acts 5:17), of the Pharisees (15:5),
the Nazarenes, i.e., Christians (24:5). It afterwards came to be
used in a bad sense, of those holding pernicious error,
divergent forms of belief (2 Pet. 2:1; Gal. 5:20).
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