What does secessionist mean?
A secessionist is someone who advocates the withdrawal of a state or territory from a political union. In contemporary English, the word is especially associated with the movement in the Southern United States that led to secession in 1860 and 1861. “Secessionist” can describe either an individual supporter or, attributively, a movement, policy, force, or viewpoint. The term is usually historical and carries the weight of that political crisis, but it can also be used more generally when discussing separatism elsewhere. It is related to “secession,” the formal act or process of separation, and “secede,” the verb meaning to withdraw from a union. Because the word has strong historical associations, careful writers often specify the country or conflict being discussed rather than using it without context.
A person who favors the separation of a state or territory from a larger political union, especially a supporter of secession by a Southern U.S. state.
"Several secessionists called for the immediate withdrawal of their state from the Union."
Chiefly used in historical contexts, especially in discussions of the American Civil War.
Favoring or relating to the political separation of a state or territory from a larger union.
"The administration resisted secessionist demands from local leaders."
Most often encountered in historical writing about U.S. secession.
The regular plural is “secessionists.”
"The trial of the secessionists lasted for several months."
Before the Civil War, “secessionist” became a charged political label for Americans who argued that their states could lawfully leave the Union.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does secessionist come from?
The word is formed within English from “secession,” which comes from Latin “secessio,” a withdrawal or separation and ultimately from “secedere,” meaning to go away or withdraw. Adding the suffix “-ist” produced “secessionist,” denoting a person who supports secession. The term entered English during the political conflicts surrounding the American Civil War.
Related word forms
How secessionist is actually used
The term is now most common in historical writing about the United States and the Civil War. It is often used for people who advocated secession, but can more broadly refer to supporters of political separation.
Easily confused with secessionist
A separatist generally advocates separation from a political union, whereas a secessionist is more specifically associated with the historical movement for a state's withdrawal, especially in the United States.