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 separatist war with Serbia began in 1998 when the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army launched a struggle for independence and Serbia responded with a brutal crackdown. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 His replacement, Drapatyi, was the commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces, best-known for a viral 2014 video of him driving an armored infantry fighting vehicle through a separatist barricade in Mariupol. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Noun
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 Iranian authorities, in turn, view armed Kurdish factions as separatist or terrorist threats, especially groups such as PJAK, which has clashed for years with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along Iran’s western border. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for separatist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separatist
  1. sectarian
  2. secessionist
  3. schismatic
  4. extremist
Adjective
  • Tensions flared in April 2025, when at least 10 people were killed in sectarian clashes between Druze gunmen and pro-government fighters.
    — Abdulrahman Shaheen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • He was arrested in Lebanon in July 2025 and sentenced to three months in prison for incitement to religious and sectarian conflict.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 27 July 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
  • When Israeli extremists arrived in Qusra to force Palestinians from their homes, residents hoped the Israel Defense Forces would come to their aid.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Extremists can win blue states, but presidential elections and congressional control are decided in purple states, and America will not elect extremists and socialists.
    — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of extremist

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Cite this Entry

“Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separatist. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on separatist

Nglish: Translation of separatist for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about separatist

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