separatist

noun

sep·a·rat·ist | \ ˈse-p(ə-)rə-tist ,

ˈse-pə-ˌrā- \

Definition of separatist

: one that favors separatism: such as

a capitalized : 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

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Examples of separatist in a Sentence

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While separatists had hoped Mr. Puigdemont could avoid extradition altogether, Thursday’s decision is likely to invigorate Catalonia’s pro-independence forces. — Jeannette Neumann, WSJ, "German Court Authorizes Extradition to Spain of Catalonia’s Former Leader," 12 July 2018 White nationalists to protest at Tennessee Pridefest The Knoxville LGBTQ community is anticipating a disruption at the city's Pridefest on Saturday: a white separatist rally. — Editors, USA TODAY, "Saudi women drivers, Tennessee Pride, World Cup and 5 things to know this weekend," 23 June 2018 Putin has been vilified in the West for Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and then backing the pro-Russia separatist militias in eastern Ukraine. — Sabra Ayres, latimes.com, "'We're the fans. We make the party': Icy relations aside, soccer fans pour into Russia for World Cup," 12 June 2018 The Catalan parliament approved Mr Torra, a hardline separatist who has made disagreeable remarks about Spaniards, by a margin of one vote. — The Economist, "Politics this week," 17 May 2018 Crimea was annexed from Ukraine following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and takeover of the area by pro-Russian separatists and armed forces. — Deutsche Welle, USA TODAY, "Vladimir Putin to open controversial bridge connecting Russia to Crimea," 15 May 2018 Western sanctions on Russia imposed over Crimea and Moscow's backing of a pro-Russian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine remain in place and have damaged the Russian economy, which only rebounded last year after a prolonged downturn. — Anchorage Daily News, "Putin wins another six years at Russia’s helm in landslide victory," 18 Mar. 2018 But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists the Syrian Kurds are terrorists who are linked to Kurdish separatists in Turkey. — Michael R. Gordon, WSJ, "U.S., Turkey Reach Deal Over Tense Northern Syrian Town," 5 June 2018 Following her capture, Savchenko has become an emotive symbol in Ukraine’s struggle against pro-Russian separatists. — Felicity Capon, Newsweek, "‘Time Running Out’ for Hunger Striking Ukrainian MP Held by Russia," 20 Feb. 2015

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