sect

This term carries a strong connotation of separation and exclusivity. While it can describe any small group with a shared ideology, it is most frequently used in religious contexts to describe a splinter group that has broken away from an established church. Depending on the speaker's perspective, the word can be neutral or pejorative, often implying a level of rigidity or fringe beliefs.

In political or social contexts, it describes a faction that adheres to a strict, specific doctrine. It differs from a general group or club by the intensity of the shared belief system and the perceived distance from the mainstream majority.