separatist

noun

sep·​a·​rat·​ist ˈse-p(ə-)rə-tist How to pronounce separatist (audio)
ˈse-pə-ˌrā-
: one that favors separatism: such as
a
capitalized : one of a group of 16th and 17th century English Protestants preferring to separate from rather than to reform the Church of England
b
: an advocate of independence or autonomy for a part of a political unit (such as a nation)
c
: an advocate of racial or cultural separation
separatist adjective
separatistic adjective

Examples of separatist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Turkey had delayed its approval, demanding Sweden stop supporting Kurdish separatists Ankara views as terrorists. Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 24 Jan. 2024 The strife peaked in 1984 after Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered a deadly siege on separatists occupying the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest site in the Sikh religion, and a bullet pierced a copy of the Sikh holy book, considered to be an eternally living guru. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 But with Punjabi Sikhs highly visible in the movement’s leadership, the government began cracking down on Sikh separatists soon after. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Chinese officials appear to be redoubling these efforts after Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party, a man Beijing considers a dangerous separatist, was elected the next president of Taiwan. Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024 But in recent months, with tensions at perhaps an all-time high between Sikh separatists and the Hindu nationalist government of India, politics are hard to avoid. Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 In Mali, analysts estimate that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers, initially with Wagner and now with the Africa Corps, are fighting alongside Malian forces against separatists and Islamic extremists. Rachel Chason and Michael Birnbaum The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024 Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory despite the island’s rejection, has been wary of efforts by Beijing to ramp up pressure on Taipei following last month’s election of Lai Ching-te as president, a man Beijing considers a dangerous separatist. Reuters, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 The soldiers left behind Avdiivka has been on the front lines since pro-Moscow separatists seized large portions of the Donbas region, including the nearby city of Donetsk, in 2014. Tim Lister, CNN, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'separatist.' 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

1608, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of separatist was in 1608

Dictionary Entries Near separatist

Cite this Entry

“Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separatist. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

separatist

noun
sep·​a·​rat·​ist ˈsep(-ə)-rət-əst How to pronounce separatist (audio)
: a person who favors separation (as from a church or party)
separatism
-rə-ˌtiz-əm
noun
separatist adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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