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 1820 Missouri Compromise sought to stave off secession by maintaining parity between slave and free states as they were admitted to the Union. —Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 24 Mar. 2026

The secession movement is regaining steam. —David Remnick, New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2026

The legal penalties for people abroad echo the clause in the National Security Law which China imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, which states that authorities can prosecute people based outside China over actions that Beijing perceives as secession or subversion. —ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026

The secession of 11 states propelled a democratic nation into unprecedented political fracture. —Jennifer Murray, The Conversation, 18 Feb. 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