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View synonyms for secession

secession

[ si-sesh-uhn ]

noun

  1. an act or instance of seceding.
  2. (often initial capital letter) U.S. History. the withdrawal from the Union of 11 Southern states in the period 1860–61, which brought on the Civil War.
  3. (usually initial capital letter) Fine Arts. a style of art in Germany and Austria concurrent with and related to Art Nouveau.


secession

/ sɪˈsɛʃən /

noun

  1. the act of seceding
  2. often capital the withdrawal in 1860–61 of 11 Southern states from the Union to form the Confederacy, precipitating the American Civil War


secession

  1. The withdrawal from the United States of eleven southern states in 1860 and 1861. The seceding states formed a government, the Confederacy , in early 1861. Hostilities against the remaining United States, the Union , began in April 1861 ( see Fort Sumter ), and the Civil War followed.


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Derived Forms

  • seˈcessionˌism, noun
  • seˈcessionist, nounadjective
  • seˈcessional, adjective

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Other Words From

  • se·cession·al adjective
  • nonse·cession noun
  • nonse·cession·al adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of secession1

1525–35; < Latin sēcessiōn- (stem of sēcessiō ) withdrawal, equivalent to sēcess ( us ) (past participle of sēcēdere to secede; cession ) + -iōn- -ion

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Word History and Origins

Origin of secession1

C17: from Latin sēcessiō a withdrawing, from sēcēdere to secede

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Example Sentences

The chairman of the Texas GOP seriously suggested secession when the last, desperate legal challenges to the election failed.

From Time

Channeling Douglas’s condemnation of secession, McConnell told listeners that “public doubt alone” could not “justify a radical break when that doubt was incited without evidence.”

The closest parallel is probably the Southern “Fire-Eaters” who were rabid advocates of enslavement and secession before the Civil War.

From Vox

Afterward, Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West declared that “law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the Constitution” — a seeming endorsement of secession.

America is polarized with a political culture growing more toxic by the day, but the realities of secession would be too much to bear.

From Ozy

In the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Plains, and Far West, secession sympathizers top out at 22 percent of the population.

But very few of us have imagined that they could fuel a generalized positive view of secession.

The larger the pro-secession minority becomes, the more the majority opposed to secession will believe that Hobbes was right.

According to Reuters, current Democrat support for secession is hovering around 20 percent.

And here in America, the spirit of secession is gaining strength too.

Even as late as April 4, the Richmond convention had rejected secession by a vote of two to one.

On February 13, 1861, a special state convention was held in Richmond to discuss the possibility of secession.

On May 4, a large majority of the Virginia citizens voted their approval of secession.

But, even at that time, which was within six weeks of election day, the idea of secession did not prevail.

Gentlemen, Secession is played out—the dog is dead—the child is born, and his name is Jeff.

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