separatism

noun

Definition of separatismnext
1
as in segregation

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in sectarianism

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Dissimilar Words

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 separatism China has long accused the Dalai Lama of promoting separatism. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 Both countries depend on each other to stifle Kurdish separatism. — Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Opinion polls indicate that separatism in Alberta lacks broad appeal, however. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 May 2026 These tactical innovations have been reinforced by deliberate efforts at broadening the support base for Baloch separatism. — Amira Jadoon, The Conversation, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for separatism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separatism
  1. segregation
  2. sectarianism
  3. apostasy
  4. schism
  5. defection
  6. misconception
  7. scission
Noun
  • Jim Crow segregation, discrimination and systemic racism further depressed the Black population's ability to build wealth that is still largely concentrated among white families.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • American educational history is overflowing with abuse, segregation, substandard structures, and smoldering scorn.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of segregation
Noun
  • The pullout, however, leaves a new Iraqi government with the daunting task of loosening Iran’s grip on its neighbor, which has long been trapped in a cycle of sectarianism, foreign meddling and civil conflict.
    — Sarah Tamimi, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of sectarianism
Noun
  • Many members of today’s professional class are apostates, and this apostasy is worth taking seriously as a sign of an economic order that cannot seem to justify itself to its own public-relations arm.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
  • When every disagreement with Israeli government policy became, in your telling, the first step toward apostasy?
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 July 2026
Definition of apostasy
Noun
  • Cornelius’s pontificate was complicated by a schism, caused by the self-appointment of the Roman priest Novatian as antipope (the second in papal history) and by the dispute over the church’s attitude toward Christian apostates.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Swift was preternaturally avoidant of zealotry, with the obscure religious wars between the Lilliputians and the Blefscuans over how to crack an egg reminiscent of internecine Christian schisms concerning the real presence in the Eucharist.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of schism
Noun
  • Rahm won the league's individual title in each of the last three years, making his defection from the league arguably its biggest hit.
    — Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Adelaide had raised Adrien alone until his defection to Moscow at seventeen, a little over a year ago.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of defection
Noun
  • Finally, there’s a fundamental misconception that estate planning is an expensive process that’s necessary only for older and wealthier people.
    — Christina Wing, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • One common misconception about cocktail bars in Milan is that the city’s drinking culture begins and ends with the aperitivo.
    — Jaclyn DeGiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of misconception
Noun
  • When the nucleus ultimately disintegrates, these pieces move apart rapidly and the neck snaps quickly, a process known as scission.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2021
  • The structure is easily broken down in a reaction called scission (like scissors), which tears up the polymer chain.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 5 Aug. 2020
Definition of scission

Browse Nearby Words

separations
separatism
separatisms
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Cite this Entry

“Separatism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separatism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on separatism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about separatism

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