separatist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of separatistnext
as in sectarian

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

separatist

2 of 2

noun

as in secessionist

Related 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 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
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
  • Hundreds of civilians — mostly Druze — were killed in sectarian revenge attacks.
    — Natalie Melzer, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 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
  • The following day, the state added him to its official register of terrorists and extremists, a designation that obliges Russian banks to freeze his assets.
    — Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The song debuted in 1995, at a Voters for Choice benefit concert hosted by Gloria Steinem, after an antiabortion extremist murdered two women at a Planned Parenthood and another family-planning clinic in Massachusetts.
    — Claire Howorth, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
Definition of extremist

Browse Nearby Words

separatisms
separatist
separatists
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separatist. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on separatist

Nglish: Translation of separatist for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about separatist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All