Definition of "sect" []

• A group of people forming a distinct unit within a larger group by virtue of certain refinements or distinctions of belief or practice. (noun)
• A religious body, especially one that has separated from a larger denomination. (noun)
• A faction united by common interests or beliefs. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Today, the term sect in discussions of religion can have a far different meaning than sectarianism in the political left."
• "The historical usage of the term sect in Christendom has had pejorative connotations, referring to a group or movement with heretical beliefs or practices that deviate from those of groups considered orthodox."
• "Certainly enough knowledge now to understand why your sect is the sole repository of the truth."