nonsectarian

/ˌnɒn.sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/

//ˌnɒn.sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"nonsectarian" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nonsectarian” is uncommon English (frequency #99,632 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,632
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not sectarian.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nonsectarian · nonsectarian · English

nonsectarian · rank #99,632 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #99,632
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH nonionic

Nearest frequency peer: nonionic (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “nonsectarian”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “nonsectarian” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for nonsectarian
PropertyValue
Headwordnonsectarian
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌnɒn.sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#99,632
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “nonsectarian” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).nonsectarianfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “nonionic” (#99,631), “nonsurgical” (#99,633), “nonempty” (#99,630). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “nonsectarian” is #99,632. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

nonsectarian is uncommon English at frequency #99,632 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌnɒn.sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

nonsectarian has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From non- + sectarian. The correct English form is nonsectarian, spelled N-O-N-S-E-C-T-A-R-I-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not sectarian.
  2. 2
    Of or pertaining to nonsectarianism.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how nonsectarian appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The children will not go to church, few will attend Sunday school, but they will attend a nonsectarian Bible school.
  2. The cottage institutions are first divided into two sections; the nonsectarian and those under some church management.

Etymology

From non- + sectarian.

This word in other languages

konfessionsfrei(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "nonsectarian"?
"nonsectarian" is spelled N-O-N-S-E-C-T-A-R-I-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌnɒn.sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/.
What does "nonsectarian" mean?
As an adjective, "nonsectarian" means: Not sectarian.
How do you pronounce "nonsectarian"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nonsectarian" is /ˌnɒn.sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "nonsectarian"?
From non- + sectarian. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "nonsectarian", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

noncompliant#99,628preamplifier#99,724longshoreman#99,514redecoration#99,759

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list