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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-ray-] / 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  

/ ˈsɛpərətɪst, ˈsɛprə- /

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

She faces a reelection battle in October and is currently trailing in polls to the leader of a Quebec separatist party.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

But Pakistan's least-developed province grapples with a growing separatist insurgency, which has also targeted mining investments by China.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

Inspired by Khalra's life, the film follows an activist investigating alleged human rights abuses during Punjab's separatist insurgency, one of the bloodiest chapters in modern Indian history.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

India, too, knows that stable ties with Bangladesh are vital to security in its north-east, where several ethnic separatist groups operate.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

In 1775 the Mohawk Nation allied with the British against the separatist settlers.

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

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

Separatist official Rodion Miroshnik said that rebel forces have returned the fire.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2022

Separatist conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been dormant for more than two years, although political settlements remain elusive.

From The 1996 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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

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

Malian opposition figures and military personnel have been detained or abducted following large-scale attacks by jihadists and separatists on junta positions, security, legal and family sources told AFP on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

Mali's authorities also said they had partnered with the armed forces in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso to carry out air strikes against the jihadists and separatists.

From BBC ● May 4, 2026

Their experience in Dunmore’s War led the Shawnees to ally with the British against the separatists in 1777.

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

Related Words

• dissident
• protester
• rebel