separatist

noun

sep·​a·​rat·​ist ˈse-p(ə-)rə-tist 

ˈse-pə-ˌrā-

: 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

separatist adjective

separatistic

ˌse-p(ə-)rə-ˈti-stik 

adjective

Examples of separatist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The feminist separatists were overwhelmingly white and, like many white feminists of preceding generations, not all shared Dunbar-Ortiz’s commitment to racial justice. —Hazlitt, 11 June 2025

Russia was occupying our land and backing armed separatists, but Ukraine was told to negotiate. —Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025

Putin annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula and began supporting pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country in 2014. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 4 June 2025

That conflict had recently escalated, with pro-Russian separatists seizing key towns in the Donetsk and Luhansk after Russia illegally annexed the peninsula of Crimea in February 2014. —Anna Batta, The Conversation, 2 June 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