secede

American  

[si-seed] / sɪˈsid /

verb (used without object)

seceded, seceding

1. to withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association, as from a political union, a religious organization, etc.

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secede British  

/ sɪˈsiːd /

verb

1. (of a person, section, etc) to make a formal withdrawal of membership, as from a political alliance, church, organization, etc

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Other Word Forms

• seceder noun
• unseceded adjective
• unseceding adjective

Etymology

Origin of secede

First recorded in 1695–1705, secede is from the Latin word sēcēdere to withdraw. See se-, cede

Explanation

To secede is to go your own way, breaking off ties. Usually, this refers to one part of a country that wants to become independent, like the South during the U.S. Civil War. The Latin word secedere means “go apart” and that's where secede comes from. Don't confuse it with the much more common succeed. Your plan to secede from the state of New Jersey and found a kingdom named Rusty, after your dog, is not likely to succeed.

Example Sentences

He was a leader of the Freedom County movement that sought to secede from Snohomish County in the late 1990s.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2024

Decades ago, her optical nerve had begun to secede from the lining of her left eye.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2024

Sikh Americans have wide-ranging opinions on whether Sikhs should secede from India.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2023

In 1988, inside the roiling Soviet landscape, the enclave’s ethnic Armenian majority chose to secede from one Soviet republic, Azerbaijan, and unite with another, Armenia.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 5, 2023

Maryland, although it did not secede from the Union and join the Confederacy at the start of the Civil War, remained a hotbed of secessionists.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• break with