secede

verb se·cede \ si-ˈsēd \

Definition of secede

seceded; seceding

intransitive verb

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

—

seceder

noun

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Examples of secede in a Sentence

South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860.

Recent Examples of secede from the Web

Bushwick’ Starring: Brittany Snow, Dave Bautista The premise: Texas is attempting to secede from the U.S. and its forces have descended on New York City to claim it as an East Coast base of operations.

— Detroit Free Press, "A U.S. civil war erupts in ‘Bushwick’," 25 Aug. 2017
While trying to secede from the country, the Southern state brutally attempts a coup that catches Brooklyn residents off guard—including Lucy and Stupe, played by Brittany Snow and Dave Bautista.

— yohana desta, vanityfair.com, "New York Is Under Apocalyptic Siege in This Exclusive Bushwick Clip," 18 Aug. 2017
While trying to secede from the country, the Southern state brutally attempts a coup that catches Brooklyn residents off guard—including Lucy and Stupe, played by Brittany Snow and Dave Bautista.

— yohana desta, HWD, "New York Is Under Apocalyptic Siege in This Exclusive Bushwick Clip," 18 Aug. 2017
Two moderates, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, basically seceded from the effort, giving the leadership precisely no margin for error.

— robert verbruggen, National Review, "Maybe Health Care Was Impossible," 31 July 2017
The series takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution.

— scott meslow, GQ, "The Game of Thrones' Creators' Next Big HBO Series Sounds Pretty Suspect," 19 July 2017
Finally, I was perplexed by the suggestion that Louisville and Lexington want to secede from Kentucky.

— joseph gerth, The Courier-Journal, "'Elitist' Louisville and Lexington prop up small-town Kentucky," 13 July 2017
After decades of fighting between the Arab Muslim north and largely Christian south, the two sides voted on a referendum to let the south secede.

— conor gaffey, MSNBC Newsweek, "The Devastating Human Cost of Famine in South Sudan," 4 July 2017
But at the time, Lindros’s father, Carl, expressed concerns about playing in a province that was threatening to secede.

— michael rosenberg, SI.com, "Eric Lindros is worried about everyone's concussions but his own," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'secede.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of secede

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

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First Known Use: 1749

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Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

SECEDE Defined for English Language Learners

secede

verb

Definition of secede for English Language Learners

: to separate from a nation or state and become independent

SECEDE Defined for Kids

secede

verb se·cede \ si-ˈsēd \

Definition of secede for Students

seceded; seceding

:to end an association with an organization (as a country)

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secede

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secede

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seceder

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