separatism

American  

[sep-er-uh-tism] / ˈsɛp ər ə tɪsm /

noun

1. a principle or policy advocating withdrawing or seceding from an established union, such as a church, nation, etc..

   The move toward separatism may become more powerful as the country’s economy melts down.

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Etymology

Origin of separatism

separat(e) ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Explanation

Separatism is the belief that one group of people should split off and live apart from a larger group. Often, separatism stems from differences in religious beliefs, language, or ethnicity. Separatism comes from separate and its Latin root, separare, which means "to pull apart." Advocating for pulling away or apart from a larger group is separatism. People who believe in the idea or put it into action are separatists. Ethnic separatism, based on different cultures and languages, led to the split of Czechoslovakia into two separate countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

separatism

A longtime supporter of Tibet and a convert to Buddhism, Gere has frequently met the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader accused by China of stoking separatism in the Himalayan region.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

But was Blair correct in saying he'd "lanced the boil of separatism"?

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

Amnesty International called on Macron to demand the release of Uyghur economics professor Ilham Tohti, who was jailed for life in 2014 on charges of promoting separatism, and other imprisoned activists.

From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2024

This may have been a low point, but not even the more edifying moments of the discussion shed much light on the essential conflict between Brustein’s commitment to integration and Wilson’s appeal for separatism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2023

If he, who had advocated nonviolence rather than nationalism or separatism had been killed, what hope did the rest of us Negroes have?

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• apartheid
• discrimination