secession

American  

[si-sesh-uhn] / sɪˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

1. an act or instance of seceding.

2. (often initial capital letter) 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) a style of art in Germany and Austria concurrent with and related to Art Nouveau.

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secession British  

/ 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

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secession Cultural  

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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Other Word Forms

• nonsecession noun
• nonsecessional adjective
• secessional adjective
• secessionism noun
• secessionist noun

Etymology

Origin of secession

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

Example Sentences

Indulge a certain inner calm, then, when watching Canada’s secession politics.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pannun is affiliated with a New York-based group called Sikhs for Justice that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a northern Indian state with a large Sikh population.

From Barron's

The last time the idea of secession gained serious momentum was in 1993 when a consultative referendum saw 65 percent of residents support independence -- but the plan got mired in opposition from state officials.

From Barron's

Yet as commander in chief, wisely comprehending that no war to save the Union could be waged, much less won, exclusively by Republicans, Lincoln sought out Democrats to help battle secession.

From The Wall Street Journal

The fifth partition—in truth, a secession—was that of Pakistan itself in 1971, when East Pakistan became the new nation of Bangladesh after a bloody civil war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• breakaway
• breakup
• separation