separatism

noun

sep·​a·​rat·​ism ˈse-p(ə-)rə-ˌti-zəm How to pronounce separatism (audio)
: a belief in, movement for, or state of separation (such as schism, secession, or segregation)

Examples of separatism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Efforts to forge national unity between French- and English-speaking Canadians collapsed, prompting a resurgence of Quebec separatism. Alan Cowell, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Perhaps the proximity of Lesbos, where Sappho wrote of the sexiness of female separatism, made matriarchal societies seem perfectly plausible. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 Not long after the farm bills died, RSS affiliates began claiming their rollback was necessary to stop separatism from growing among Sikhs. Blaming Khalistanis for the agricultural defeat has not been easy, and for a very simple reason: within India, there is no Sikh separatism of which to speak. Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2023 Sikh separatism may have been a threat to the Indian state in the 1980s and 1990s, when separatists waged a bloody insurgency in hopes of turning Punjab into an independent state called Khalistan. Hartosh Singh Bal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for separatism 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'separatism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of separatism was in 1628

Dictionary Entries Near separatism

Cite this Entry

“Separatism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separatism. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

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