sectarianise

The new policy threatens to sectarianise the community.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To make sectarian: "sectarianise" means to cause something (such as a group, institution, or society) to become divided along sectarian lines, or to imbue with a sectarian character. This often involves promoting or intensifying divisions based on religious, political, or ideological factions.

Usage Examples

• (To make the system divided along religious lines.)
• (To cause the conflict to become more divided along sectarian lines.)
• (To attempt to create sectarian divisions within the union.)

Advanced Usage

• "to sectarianise a debate": to introduce or emphasise sectarian divisions in a discussion or argument.

  • The journalist accused the politician of trying to sectarianise the debate on immigration by linking it to religious identity. (To make the debate about sectarian differences rather than policy.)

• "to become sectarianised": a passive construction meaning to gradually develop sectarian characteristics.

  • Over time, the originally secular organisation became sectarianised as members from a single denomination gained control. (To become divided or defined by sectarian identity.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sectarian (adj): relating to or characteristic of a sect or sects; often implies narrow-mindedness or divisiveness.

  • The sectarian violence tore the city apart. (Violence based on religious or political factions.)

• Sectarianism (n): excessive devotion to a particular sect, especially in religion or politics, leading to conflict.

  • Sectarianism remains a major obstacle to peace in the region. (The practice of promoting sectarian divisions.)

• Sectarianise is the British English spelling; the American English variant is sectarianize.

Synonyms

• Divide: to separate into factions.
• Polarise: to cause opposing groups to become sharply divided.
• Factionalise: to split into smaller, often antagonistic, groups.

Phrasal Verbs

• Sectarianise out: (rare, informal) to exclude or remove members based on sectarian criteria.
  • The committee began to sectarianise out anyone who did not share their religious views. (To remove people based on sectarian identity.)

Related Idioms

• Drive a wedge between: to cause a division or rift between groups.

  • The propaganda aimed to drive a wedge between the two communities, effectively sectarianising the entire region. (To create a sectarian divide.)

• Divide and conquer: a strategy of creating divisions among opponents to maintain control.

  • Colonial powers often used a divide-and-conquer approach to sectarianise local populations. (To intentionally create sectarian splits for political gain.)