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 province’s right to implement Islamic law was granted by Indonesia’s secular central government around 2005 as part of a peace deal to end a separatist insurgency. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 The separatist group Baloch Liberation ​Army, or BLA, has claimed responsibility for the attack, but local authorities have not officially confirmed who is behind it, per Reuters and the Times. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
Noun
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad separatist movement, said in a post on Facebook that its forces had taken control of Kidal and some areas in Gao, another northeastern city. — Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026 The Alberta separatist movement dates back decades, but has gained momentum in the past year, after the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, won Canada’s federal election. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 5 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
  • 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
  • During the Civil War, Southern California had its own pro-Confederacy secessionist militia, the Los Angeles Mounted Rifles.
    — Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 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 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were systematically ‌massacred in the East African ⁠nation by Hutu extremists over roughly 100 days from April ⁠to July 1994.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 1 July 2026
  • Opportunists like the daycare group, which was selling weapons, and extremists — not the hobbyists.
    — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 June 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 7 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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