sect vs inner circle

sect and inner circle both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
sect	Yes	No	No	No
inner circle	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, inner circle is a hypernym of sect; that is, inner circle is a word with a broader meaning than sect:

Other hypernyms of sect include camp, clique, coterie, ingroup, pack.

sect (noun)	inner circle (noun)
a dissenting clique	an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose
a subdivision of a larger religious group