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separatist

American  
[sep-er-uh-tist, -uh-rey-] / ˈsɛp ər ə tɪst, -əˌreɪ- /

noun

  1. a person who separates, withdraws, or secedes, as from an established church.

  2. an advocate of separation, especially ecclesiastical or political separation.

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or designating separatism or separatists.

    separatist forces;

    separatist tendencies.
separatist 1 British  
/ ˈsɛpərətɪst, ˈsɛprə- /

noun

    1. a person who advocates or practises secession from an organization or group

    2. ( as modifier )

      a separatist movement
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Separatist 2 British  
/ ˈsɛprə-, ˈsɛpərətɪst /

noun

  1. (sometimes not capital) a person who advocates the secession of a province, esp Quebec, from Canada

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • Separatism noun
  • antiseparatist noun
  • separatism noun
  • separatistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of separatist

First recorded in 1600–10; separate (adjective) + -ist

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.

A meetinghouse stood at the center of every village created by the Shakers, the separatist and celibate Christian religious sect founded in the 18th century that was devoted to communal living and simple, functional design.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

King Charles has "expressed his concern" over the Alberta separatist movement in a meeting with Indigenous leaders at Buckingham Palace, according to a delegation of First Nations chiefs that travelled to London.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

The third constituency — a suburb of Montreal called Terrebonne — had been held by the separatist Bloc Québécois since 2015.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

Pakistan has long worried that Baloch in eastern Iran might launch attacks on its territory to strengthen a Baloch separatist movement there.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

To win the Cherokees to their side, British authorities provided weaponry and money, while separatist representatives threatened the towns with complete destruction if they did not remain neutral.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.