separatist

noun

sep·​a·​rat·​ist ˈse-p(ə-)rə-tist 

ˈse-pə-ˌrā-

: one that favors separatism: such as

a

Separatist : one of a group of 16th and 17th century English Protestants preferring to separate from rather than to reform the Church of England

b

: an advocate of independence or autonomy for a part of a political unit (such as a nation)

c

: an advocate of racial or cultural separation

separatist adjective

separatistic

ˌse-p(ə-)rə-ˈti-stik 

adjective

Examples of separatist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu was convicted of terrorism by a court in Abuja and sentenced to life imprisonment. —Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 21 Nov. 2025

Delhi was the target of blasts during the 1980s and 1990s, with public places such as bus stations and crowded market areas hit in attacks blamed on Islamist militants or on separatists from the northern Sikh state of Punjab. —Shivam Patel, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025

Donetsk, some 30 miles (50 km) from the current frontline, has been controlled by Russian separatists since 2014. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2025

In 1999, a nearly three-month NATO bombing campaign ended a war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. —Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing separatist

• anti-separatist

Kids Definition

separatist

noun

sep·​a·​rat·​ist ˈsep(-ə)-rət-əst 

: a person who favors separation (as from a church or party)

separatism

-rə-ˌtiz-əm

noun

separatist adjective