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 attack occurred in Mastung, a district in Balochistan province where separatist insurgents have stepped up attacks on security forces and civilians in recent months. — ABC News, 23 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
Christianity, then, is not a separatist, otherworldly faith. — Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 The vote, which was announced after months of campaigning from separatists in Alberta, is expected to be held in the fall. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for separatist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separatist
  1. sectarian
  2. secessionist
  3. schismatic
  4. extremist
Adjective
  • In the months after Assad’s fall in Syria, there were several eruptions of violence between groups loyal and opposed to al-Sharaa that spiraled into sectarian revenge attacks, in which Sunni Islamist fighters affiliated with the new government carried out attacks on Alawite and Druze civilians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
  • During the Biden administration, the DSA hemorrhaged members amid sectarian infighting, especially over Palestine.
    — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 June 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
  • More than four decades later, Kinnock’s actions remain among the most memorable examples of a political leader confronting extremists on his own side.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • Lamb also swapped racist jokes with a border extremist in an online message exchange, The Republic found, and spent months launching a multimillion-dollar ranch business in Tennessee while running for Congress in Arizona.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 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 26 Jul. 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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