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• separatist
  separatist

  noun

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

  noun

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

separatist

American  

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

noun

• separatists
  plural

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

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

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adjective

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

   separatist forces;

   separatist tendencies.

separatist ¹ British  

/ ˈsɛpərətɪst, ˈsɛprə- /

noun

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      a separatist movement

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Separatist ² British  

/ ˈsɛprə-, ˈsɛpərətɪst /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• separatists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of separatist

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

Explanation

A separatist is someone who believes certain groups of people should live independently from the larger group. Often religious separatists form new denominations after they break off from a church. Separatists are typically members of a minority group that wishes to protect itself or its identity from the majority group. There are political separatist movements all around the world, including Catalan separatists in Spain, who believe that Catalonia should be an independent nation, and French-Canadian separatists in Quebec.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

separatist Separatist separatists

Critics, including state officials, have accused her movement of amplifying narratives that benefit separatist groups – allegations she has consistently rejected.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

For decades there have been clashes in Balochistan between Pakistani forces and insurgent separatist groups demanding greater autonomy.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

Forces at Mali's Tessalit military base, a "super-camp" near the Algerian border, surrendered and were scattering southward, an official from the Tuareg-dominated FLA separatist group told AFP.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

This predominantly Tuareg separatist group, created in 2024, wants independence for the territory of Azawad in northern Mali.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 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

"Separatist groups should not think that a breeze has blown and try to take action," said Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

Separatist fighters in the country's two English-speaking regions - the North-West and the South-West - took up arms in 2017 calling for the creation of a breakaway state called Ambazonia.

From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026

Separatist authorities then agreed to dissolve their government by the end of this year.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 2, 2023

They enlist Bo-Katan and Din Djarin's help in neutralizing a few repurposed Imperial and Separatist droids that have shrugged off their programming and pose a danger to its citizens.

From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2023

He understands the Irish agitator, but the English Separatist beats him.

From Ireland as It Is And as It Would be Under Home Rule by Robert John Buckley

When a judge dealt another blow to separatists in May, Smith appealed the ruling and called the referendum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

He began as a lieutenant and rose through the ranks, shooting to nationwide fame during the war with Russia-backed separatists in 2014.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

While she is correct that the separatists who traveled on the Mayflower in 1620 eschewed the pejorative term Puritan, she errantly suggests that they called themselves Pilgrims.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The two strikes came less than a fortnight after a large-scale, coordinated offensive by jihadists and separatists on junta positions, which plunged the west African country into a fresh security crisis.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

With the approval of the Continental Congress, three armies were mustered to launch an offensive against the Seneca and any other Indigenous nation that opposed the separatists.

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

Related Words

• dissident
• protester
• rebel