secede

1 of 2

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

seceder

2 of 2

noun

se·​ced·​er

-də(r)

plural -s

1

: one that secedes

2

usually capitalized : a member of the Secession Church of Scotland or any of its daughter churches

Examples of secede in a Sentence

Verb

South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

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

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

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution would be ratified that December, ending slavery everywhere (including in the border states that didn’t secede from the Union). — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026

The last time the city took up a large-scale update of the charter was in 1999, amid an effort by some San Fernando Valley civic leaders to secede from Los Angeles. — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

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)