separatist

noun

sep·​a·​rat·​ist ˈse-p(ə-)rə-tist 

ˈse-pə-ˌrā-

: one that favors separatism: such as

a

capitalized : one of a group of 16th and 17th century English Protestants preferring to separate from rather than to reform the Church of England

b

: an advocate of independence or autonomy for a part of a political unit (such as a nation)

c

: an advocate of racial or cultural separation

separatist adjective

separatistic

ˌse-p(ə-)rə-ˈti-stik 

adjective

Examples of separatist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those drills occurred again in 2023 when then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with former Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China, which views Lai as a separatist, also held major military exercises around Taiwan following his inauguration in May and his National Day speech in October. —Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024

China has labeled Lai a separatist and refuses to engage in dialogue with him, further increasing hostilities. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Zoom out: Sikh separatists in India have for decades sought to create a separate homeland for the ethnoreligious group called Khalistan in the Punjab region of India. —Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024

Weeks after Trudeau’s announcement in 2023, the United States accused an Indian government official of being involved in a conspiracy to kill another Sikh separatist, American citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on US soil. —Hanna Ziady, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing separatist

• anti-separatist

Kids Definition

separatist

noun

sep·​a·​rat·​ist ˈsep(-ə)-rət-əst 

: a person who favors separation (as from a church or party)

separatism

-rə-ˌtiz-əm

noun

separatist adjective