separatist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of separatistnext
as in sectarian

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separatist

2 of 2

noun

as in secessionist

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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 separatist
Adjective
The Southern Transitional Council, a separatist movement that has been backed by the United Arab Emirates, has been a major force in the south. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Turkey’s separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) – designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union – abandoned the goal of full independence a few decades ago. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2026
Noun
The new commander, Drapatyi, fought across the war’s toughest front lines, and video was even recycled on his appointment on Tuesday of him driving an armored personnel carrier through a pro-Russian separatist barricade in 2014. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 22 July 2026 However, the film makes only passing mention of specifics, like the Khalistan separatist movement which forms the story’s backdrop, giving local police and politicians carte blanche for their brutality (and their persecution of Khalra). — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for separatist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separatist
  1. sectarian
  2. secessionist
  3. schismatic
  4. extremist
Adjective
  • Many Hindus today identify as Shaivas, Vaishnavas, or Shaktas, sectarian groups that, respectively, worship Shiva, Vishnu, or Shakti as supreme, with all other deities considered as manifestations or subordinates.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Experts see the union as evidence that Syria might actually be putting the era of sectarian violence behind it.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of sectarian
Noun
  • This week on The Sunday Story, reporter Connor Towne O'Neill takes us inside the movement to split Illinois, and the challenges facing a modern secessionist movement in the land of Lincoln.
    — NPR, NPR, 5 July 2026
  • However, various secessionist movements waxed and waned during the period between independence and the Civil War.
    — Scott Spires Britannica Editors June 3, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
Definition of secessionist
Adjective
  • The Vatican said the consecrations, carried out without the pope’s approval and therefore in conflict with Catholic law, constituted a schismatic act that severed the society’s communion with Rome.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
  • The highly organized religious extravaganza underscored the society’s international reach despite its schismatic outsider status, and appeal to conservative, traditionalist Catholics wary of the modern, secular world.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of schismatic
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
Definition of extremist

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separatist. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on separatist

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about separatist

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