separatist
noun
sep·a·rat·ist
ˈse-p(ə-)rə-tist 
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
Examples of separatist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Nobel laureate is regarded as one of the world’s most influential religious leaders, with a following that extends well beyond Buddhism, but not by Beijing, which calls him a separatist and has sought to bring the faith under its control.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 6 July 2025
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but ethnic Baloch separatists, who frequently target security forces and civilians in the region, are likely to be blamed.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
The clashes prompted some English-speaking separatists to take up arms against the government.
—Nalova Akua, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
The Dalai Lama outlined a succession process that puts him and the religion even more at odds with Beijing, which has long accused him of being a separatist and insisted on exercising influence over Tibetan Buddhist leadership.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for separatist
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Reuters, NBC news, 6 July 2025
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but ethnic Baloch separatists, who frequently target security forces and civilians in the region, are likely to be blamed.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025
The clashes prompted some English-speaking separatists to take up arms against the government.
—Nalova Akua, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
The Dalai Lama outlined a succession process that puts him and the religion even more at odds with Beijing, which has long accused him of being a separatist and insisted on exercising influence over Tibetan Buddhist leadership.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for separatist
Cite this Entry
“Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separatist. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
separatist
noun
sep·a·rat·ist
ˈsep(-ə)-rət-əst
: a person who favors separation (as from a church or party)
separatism
noun
-rə-ˌtiz-əm
separatist
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share