Sectarianizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To divide or organize a group or society into distinct religious or ideological factions, creating exclusive identities based on differing beliefs or practices
2. The act of separating people into opposing religious or doctrinal groups, often emphasizing sect differences to foster division or loyalty within a community
3. The process of fragmenting a collective into smaller, exclusive sects or factions by promoting exclusive adherence to particular religious or ideological principles

Etymology: "Sectarianizes" is the third-person singular form of "sectarianize", a verb built from "sectarian" plus the suffix "-ize". The base "sectarian" comes from "sect", which traces back through Late Latin "secta" to Latin "sequi", meaning "to follow". A sect was, at root, a body of people following a particular teacher or school of thought, and "sectarian" describes someone loyal to such a faction. The "-ize" ending, from Greek "-izein", turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make into" or "to treat in the manner of". So to sectarianize a society is literally to make it sectarian, turning a broader community into a set of rival camps, each defined by its own creed or practice. The verb is a fairly modern formation, a straightforward combination of the two parts rather than a term with an older story behind it.

Synonyms: polarizes, divides, segregates, factionalizes

Antonyms: unifies, integrates, harmonizes