separatist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of separatistnext
as in sectarian

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separatist

2 of 2

noun

as in secessionist

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of separatist
Adjective
Impervious to inclement grief, rising seas, & the separatist hurricanes of history. — Marcus Wicker, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026 The Southern Transitional Council, a separatist movement that has been backed by the United Arab Emirates, has been a major force in the south. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
In 2005, for example, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari brought Indonesian officials together with exiled Acehnese separatist leaders to end a decades-long insurgency in Aceh, a province on Sumatra. — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 In the second day of a standoff in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, an FBI sniper opened fire on white separatist Randy Weaver, killing his wife, Vicki. — USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for separatist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separatist
  1. sectarian
  2. secessionist
  3. schismatic
  4. extremist
Adjective
  • At the sectarian level, Baptists ridiculed Quakers, Presbyterians oppressed Anabaptists.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • After conquering a country in ruins and containing sectarian strife, Syria’s postrevolutionary government is facing its most serious crisis yet – at the pumps.
    — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of sectarian
Noun
  • There, the war stoked longtime secessionist sentiments, fronted chiefly by the Southern Transitional Council -- a bloc that until 2025 held sway in the south and was backed by the United Arab Emirates.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • This week on The Sunday Story, reporter Connor Towne O'Neill takes us inside the movement to split Illinois, and the challenges facing a modern secessionist movement in the land of Lincoln.
    — NPR, NPR, 5 July 2026
Definition of secessionist
Adjective
  • Now there is a schismatic group, called the Mazoos (from Missouri) who say that seeing is, etc.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Vatican said the consecrations, carried out without the pope’s approval and therefore in conflict with Catholic law, constituted a schismatic act that severed the society’s communion with Rome.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
Definition of schismatic
Noun
  • The last of them, a 12-year campaign against ISIS, sought to dismantle the Sunni extremist group that carved out territory across Syria and Iraq in the mid-2010s.
    — Sarah Tamimi, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The caption on the video claims that a group of Muslim extremists kidnapped and beheaded a Christian man for refusing to convert to Islam.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of extremist

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separatist. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on separatist

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about separatist

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