separatist
noun
sep·a·rat·ist
ˈse-p(ə-)rə-tist 
ˈse-pə-ˌrā-
: one that favors separatism: such as
a
Separatist
: 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 country is also home to several minority groups that have clashed with regime forces in the past, including Kurdish militants, Arab and Baloch separatists, among others.
—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
Sambom called on Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to open international negotiations aimed at resolving the decades-long conflict in Papua, which separatists say has resulted in civilian deaths and mass displacement.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Iranian authorities, in turn, view armed Kurdish factions as separatist or terrorist threats, especially groups such as PJAK, which has clashed for years with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along Iran’s western border.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian separatists with a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew members.
—
USA Today,
29 June 2026
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.
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
Sambom called on Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to open international negotiations aimed at resolving the decades-long conflict in Papua, which separatists say has resulted in civilian deaths and mass displacement.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Iranian authorities, in turn, view armed Kurdish factions as separatist or terrorist threats, especially groups such as PJAK, which has clashed for years with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps along Iran’s western border.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian separatists with a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew members.
—
USA Today,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for separatist
Cite this Entry
“Separatist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separatist. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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
