secede

verb

se·​cede si-ˈsēd How to pronounce secede (audio)
seceded; seceding

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from an organization (such as a religious communion or political party or federation)
seceder noun

Examples of secede in a Sentence

South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860.
Recent Examples on the Web Why do some Americans want to secede from their states? Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 20 May 2024 Elected in his place was a man who had repeated conspiracy theories about voting machines and who tried to hire a county executive who had called on Shasta County to secede from California. Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 19 May 2024 The far-right, anti-immigrant Vlaams Belang group, which has long called for the northern Flanders region to secede, is polling above 25% there. Craig Stirling, Fortune Europe, 9 May 2024 Soon after Lincoln's election, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. Anthony Mason, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2024 Since the 1880s, Peaks Islanders have mounted six unsuccessful campaigns to secede from Portland, which is three miles away and governs the island. Steven Kurutz Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024 No one should expect anything like quick action toward either that or California seceding outright from the United States, however. Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2024 In 2015, as governor of the first state to secede from the Union after Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 election, Haley removed the Confederate flag from South Carolina’s state capitol after a mass-murder attack at a black Methodist church in Charleston. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 1 Jan. 2024 Garland’s film is set in an America at war with itself (Texas and California have seceded to become the Western Forces) and follows a group of journalists attempting to interview the U.S. president. Zack Sharf, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin secedere, from sed-, se- apart (from sed, se without) + cedere to go — more at suicide

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of secede was in 1749

Dictionary Entries Near secede

Cite this Entry

“Secede.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secede. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

secede

verb
se·​cede si-ˈsēd How to pronounce secede (audio)
seceded; seceding
: to withdraw from an organization (as a nation, church, or political party)

More from Merriam-Webster on secede

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