secession

noun

se·​ces·​sion si-ˈse-shən 

1

: withdrawal into privacy or solitude : retirement

2

: formal withdrawal from an organization

Examples of secession in a Sentence

the secession of the Southern states

Recent Examples on the Web

The results were overwhelmingly in favor of secession, leading to South Sudan’s independence months later. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

During the Civil War, Dougherty opposed the abolition of slavery, but also did not support secession. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026

French thrives in Quebec, supported by some extremely assertive language legislation, but the threats of secession in the province are a persistent nuisance. — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Reconfiguration What is emerging is neither the collapse of the United States nor a serious movement toward secession. — John Eger, Mercury News, 17 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin secession-, secessio, from secedere

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for secession

• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• depression
• digression
• discretion
• expression
• impression
• obsession
• oppression

Kids Definition

secession

noun

se·​ces·​sion si-ˈsesh-ən 

: the act of seceding