secede
verb (used without object)
to withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association, as from a political union, a religious organization, etc.
had seceded
-
past perfectof secede.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The past and present were endlessly intermingled,” Ms. Phillips recalls: “Every kid in town knew that West Virginia had seceded from Virginia to stand for the Union.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Virginia had seceded on April 17, but the state, and North Carolina after it split from the Union on May 20, were added to the blockade order later.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
The Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia already had seceded, and the failed August coup against Gorbachev by hard-line Communist Party members had eroded Gorbachev’s authority and encouraged other republics to seek independence.
From Washington Post ● May 4, 2022
In the series, United Earth had seceded from the galactic United Federation of Planets following the catastrophic event known as The Burn that spanned the galaxy.
From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2022
In February, the states that had seceded formed a new union called the Confederate States of America.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
