as in rebel
a person who thinks that a nation, state, etc., should separate from another and become independent
A growing group of secessionists are pushing for the independence of the region.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of secessionist
Monuments to old secessionists and segregationists had fallen across the country.
—
Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2021
Separately, secessionist movements in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states might return in earnest while the central government is at war with itself.
—Mai Hassan, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2023
And if a militarized, semiautonomous, U.S.-backed Kurdish region across the border in Syria continues to harbor fighters and fuel secessionist aspirations, the threat of a PKK resurgence would remain.
—Halil Karaveli, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2025
Sherman, who had taken Atlanta in September, intended to defeat the Confederacy by inflicting on its heartland the terrible consequences of a war the Southern secessionists had begun.
—Brenda Wineapple, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for secessionist
Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2021
Separately, secessionist movements in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states might return in earnest while the central government is at war with itself.
—Mai Hassan, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2023
And if a militarized, semiautonomous, U.S.-backed Kurdish region across the border in Syria continues to harbor fighters and fuel secessionist aspirations, the threat of a PKK resurgence would remain.
—Halil Karaveli, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2025
Sherman, who had taken Atlanta in September, intended to defeat the Confederacy by inflicting on its heartland the terrible consequences of a war the Southern secessionists had begun.
—Brenda Wineapple, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for secessionist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secessionist
Noun
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The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to resume targeting Israeli ships over Israel’s blocking of aid entering the Gaza Strip.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Its members include Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Yemen's Houthi rebels.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These were followed by the left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Quebec separatist Bloc Quebecois.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group active in the restive and mineral-rich Balochistan province, claimed responsibility for the attack.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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His unit was in western Iraq, at a time of fierce fighting against insurgent forces and car bombs.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2025
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From Myanmar comes the story of a student turned insurgent who joined a militant guerilla group set on overthrowing the country’s military junta.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Secessionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secessionist. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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