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

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

And the citizenship question, the birthright-citizenship question, is part of that effort to federalize power such that a confederacy, a secession or anything like it, could never happen again. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

While secession sputtered, the Valley’s reactionary energy led to structural reforms at City Hall. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 June 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