secession

noun

se·​ces·​sion si-ˈse-shən 

1

: withdrawal into privacy or solitude : retirement

2

: formal withdrawal from an organization

Examples of secession in a Sentence

the secession of the Southern states

Recent Examples on the Web

As the states with the largest gross domestic products, their secession would cause significant disruption to the U.S. economy. —Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025

The insecurity has pushed many Alawites to conclude that the best solution is a full-scale secession of their areas into a separate territory, and to place it under the custodianship of a Western country, such as France. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Critics of secession say there are a litany of legal questions and arguments for national unity. —Nicole Nixon, Sacramento Bee, 25 Jan. 2025

Buoyed by the urgency of crisis and the emotion of injustice, a coalition of grassroots organizations and state legislators successfully places a secession initiative on the ballot. —Dr. Alex Gold, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin secession-, secessio, from secedere

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for secession

• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• depression
• digression
• discretion
• expression
• impression
• obsession
• oppression

Kids Definition

secession

noun

se·​ces·​sion si-ˈsesh-ən 

: the act of seceding