secessionist

Definition of secessionistnext
as in rebel
a person who thinks that a nation, state, etc., should separate from another and become independent A growing group of secessionists are pushing for the independence of the region.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of secessionist Analysts sympathetic to Riyadh say Saudi policy is to defend state sovereignty and regional order, accusing Abu Dhabi of empowering secessionists to maintain influence in failing states. Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026 The southern Philippines once drew small numbers of foreign militants aligned with the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda to train in a secessionist conflict involving minority Muslims in the largely Catholic nation. CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025 The southern Philippines once drew small numbers of foreign militants aligned with ISIS or al Qaeda to train in a secessionist conflict involving minority Muslims in the largely Catholic nation. CBS News, 30 Dec. 2025 There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes. Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for secessionist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secessionist
Noun
  • In her 1974 novel The Hearing Trumpet, a nonagenarian vegetarian heroine named Marian rebels against patriarchal institutions.
    Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Al-Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by HTS rebels.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Ruby Ridge is where white separatist Randy Weaver barricaded himself, his family, and a friend in a remote Idaho cabin after refusing to appear in court on federal weapons charges.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In 2005, for example, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari brought Indonesian officials together with exiled Acehnese separatist leaders to end a decades-long insurgency in Aceh, a province on Sumatra.
    Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Israel, meanwhile, has remained suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, led by former Islamist insurgents.
    Andrew Wilks, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The win marks the latest example of an insurgent Democrat pulling off a victory in the primary over a more moderate opponent with a significant cash advantage.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In a Michigan swing district just north of Detroit, Democratic congressional candidate Christina Hines said voters are far more worried about affording fuel, groceries and healthcare than about left-wing extremists gaining ground in her party.
    Steve Peoples, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in a campaign of mass murder orchestrated by Hutu extremists.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Secessionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secessionist. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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