sectarian

/sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/

//sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən// adj

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

"sectarian" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sectarian” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,488. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,488
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, relating to, or partial to a sect.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sectarian · sectarian · English

sectarian · rank #20,488 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,488
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH secession

Nearest frequency peer: secession (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “sectarian”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “sectarian” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sectarian
PropertyValue
Headwordsectarian
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#20,488
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sectarian”

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).sectarianlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “secession” (#20,487), “seminal” (#20,489), “scarred” (#20,486). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sectarian” is #20,488. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around sectarian (IPA /sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #20,488 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for sectarian, with forms such as "esctarian", "scetarian", and "secatrian". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin sectarius + -an. Its corresponding etymology per the first sense is sect + -arian. The correct English form is sectarian, spelled S-E-C-T-A-R-I-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, relating to, or partial to a sect.
  2. 2
    Dogmatic or partisan.
  3. 3
    Parochial or narrow-minded.
  4. 4
    Bigoted.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. We were discussing solutions to the sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shias.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin sectarius + -an. Its corresponding etymology per the first sense is sect + -arian.

Antonyms

nonsectarian

This word in other languages

sectario(Español)Sekten-(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • esctarian
  • scetarian
  • secatrian
  • secctarian
  • sectairan
  • sectarain
  • sectariann
  • sectarina
  • sectarrian
  • sectraian
  • secttarian
  • setcarian
  • ssectarian

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sectarian - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

esctarian2scetarian2secatrian2secctarian1sectairan2sectarain2sectariann1sectarina2
Edit distance from "sectarian"

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 "sectarian"?
"sectarian" is spelled S-E-C-T-A-R-I-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /sɛkˈtɛəɹi.ən/.
What does "sectarian" mean?
As an adjective, "sectarian" means: Of, relating to, or partial to a sect.
What are common misspellings of "sectarian"?
Common misspellings include "esctarian", "scetarian", "secatrian", "secctarian", "sectairan". The correct spelling is "sectarian".
How do you pronounce "sectarian"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sectarian" is /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 "sectarian"?
From Medieval Latin sectarius + -an. Its corresponding etymology per the first sense is sect + -arian. 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 "sectarian", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

secession#20,487seventies#20,492Sanderson#20,483tornadoes#20,517

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

shipyard13 variantsparasitic13 variantsnonlinear13 variantslymphoma13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list