ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

religious sect - a subdivision of a larger religious group

sisterhood - a religious society of women who live together as sisters (especially an order of nuns)

organized religion, religion, faith - an institution to express belief in a divine power; "he was raised in the Baptist religion"; "a member of his own faith contradicted him"

Albigenses, Cathari, Cathars - a Christian religious sect in southern France in the 12th and 13th centuries; believers in Albigensianism

High Anglican Church, High Church - a group in the Anglican Church that emphasizes the Catholic tradition (especially in sacraments and rituals and obedience to church authority)

Abecedarian - a 16th century sect of Anabaptists centered in Germany who had an absolute disdain for human knowledge

Amish sect - an orthodox Anabaptist sect separated from the Mennonites in late 17th century; settled chiefly in southeastern Pennsylvania

Karaites - a Jewish sect that recognizes only the Hebrew Scriptures as the source of divinely inspired legislation and denies the authority of the postbiblical tradition of the Talmud; the sect arose in Iraq in the eighth century

Shia, Shiah, Shiah Islam - one of the two main branches of orthodox Islam; mainly in Iran

Sunni Islam, Sunni - one of the two main branches of orthodox Islam

Shivaism, Sivaism - a Hindu sect worshiping Shiva

Saktism, Shaktism - a Hindu sect worshiping Shakti

Vaishnavism, Vaisnavism - Hindu sect worshiping of Vishnu

Haredi - any of several sects of Orthodox Judaism that reject modern secular culture and many of whom do not recognize the spiritual authority of the modern state of Israel

International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, Hare Krishna - a religious sect founded in the United States in 1966; based on Vedic scriptures; groups engage in joyful chanting of `Hare Krishna' and other mantras based on the name of the Hindu god Krishna; devotees usually wear saffron robes and practice vegetarianism and celibacy

Jainism - sect founded in the 6th century BC as a revolt against Hinduism

Taoism - a Chinese sect claiming to follow the teaching of Lao-tzu but incorporating pantheism and sorcery in addition to Taoism

Kokka, Kokka Shinto - the branch of Shinto recognized as the official state religion of Japan

Shua, Shuha Shinto - any branch of Shinto other than Kokka

brethren - (plural) the lay members of a male religious order

monastic order, order - a group of person living under a religious rule; "the order of Saint Benedict"

Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, Society of Friends - a Christian sect founded by George Fox about 1660; commonly called Quakers

Shakers, United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing - a celibate and communistic Christian sect in the United States

Vaudois, Waldenses - a Christian sect of dissenters that originated in southern France in the late 12th century adopted Calvinist doctrines in the 16th century

Zurvanism - a Zoroastrian sect that claims Zurvan was the ultimate source of the universe

convent - a community of people in a religious order (especially nuns) living together

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The Bedlamites and the Helldamites were twin slave organizations, while a new religious sect that did not flourish long was called The Wrath of God.

View in context

A religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the Confederacy; but the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it must secure the national councils against any danger from that source.

View in context

I computed the number of our people, by reckoning how many millions there might be of each religious sect, or political party among us.

View in context

Then she might have come down to us in history, hand in hand with Ann Hutchinson, as the foundress of a religious sect. She might, in one of her phases, have been a prophetess.

View in context

His life, before he came to Raveloe, had been filled with the movement, the mental activity, and the close fellowship, which, in that day as in this, marked the life of an artisan early incorporated in a narrow religious sect, where the poorest layman has the chance of distinguishing himself by gifts of speech, and has, at the very least, the weight of a silent voter in the government of his community.

View in context

We had yet five days to spare before embarking for England, and I had a great desire to see 'the Shaker Village,' which is peopled by a religious sect from whom it takes its name.

View in context

Parties of principle, as, religious sects, or the party of free-trade, of universal suffrage, of abolition of slavery, of abolition of capital punishment,--degenerate into personalities, or would inspire enthusiasm.

View in context

When that portentous system of abuses, the Papal dominion, was overturned, a great variety of religious sects arose in its stead in the several countries, which for many centuries before had been screwed beneath its subjection.

View in context

The declaration asked scholars, orators or clerics to avoid using sacrilegious remarks for prophets, family and wives of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), caliphs, Imams and about Imam Mahdi and any religious sect; must not support or endorse any blasphemer, said a press release.

Ulema vow ensuring harmony during Muharram-ul-Harram

HB 1157 or the proposed "Church Nullity Act of 2019" provides that whenever a marriage, duly and legally solemnized by a priest, imam, rabbi or presiding elder of an established church or religion in the Philippines is subsequently annulled, dissolved or declared a nullity in a final judgment or decree in accordance with the canons and precepts of the church or religious sect, such annulment, dissolution or declaration of nullity shall have the same effect as a decree of annulment, dissolution or declaration of nullity issued by a competent court.

Romualdezes files 'Church Nullity Act of 2019'; bill seeks to recognize civil effects of Church annulment

Lost Boy

1995: Police raided the Tokyo headquarters of the Aum Shinrikyo religious sect after Sarin nerve gas was released on five trains in the Tokyo underground system.

ON THIS DAY