secede

verb

se·​cede si-ˈsēd 

seceded; seceding

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from an organization (such as a religious communion or political party or federation)

seceder noun

Examples of secede in a Sentence

South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860.

Recent Examples on the Web

The president can call out the army against seceding states and their renegade congresspeople. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

When the South seceded from the United States in order to maintain slavery as a legal practice, Clemens left behind Hannibal and the steamships. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 31 May 2026

To break this stagnation, Nunavut should exercise its right to self-determination, secede from Canada, and merge with an independent Greenland to form a unified Inuit state. — Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026

This would create partition on the patriots’ terms, not Britain’s, as 13 contiguous colonies seceded from the rump of the British Empire in North America. — David Armitage, Washington Post, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin secedere, from sed-, se- apart (from sed, se without) + cedere to go — more at suicide

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for secede

• accede
• agreed
• airspeed
• alkyd
• bindweed
• chickweed
• concede
• decreed
• duckweed
• exceed
• flaxseed
• impede

Kids Definition

secede

verb

se·​cede si-ˈsēd 

seceded; seceding

: to withdraw from an organization (as a nation, church, or political party)