Separatist organizations and activities within a country involve members of a group of people who want to establish their own separate government or are trying to do so.
...the Basque separatist movement.
Nearly 2,500 have died in separatist violence this year.
2. countable noun
Separatists are people who want their own separate government or are involved in separatist activities.
The army has come under attack by separatists.
separatist in British English
(ˈsɛpərətɪst, ˈsɛprə-) or separationist
noun
a.
a person who advocates or practises secession from an organization or group
b.
(as modifier)
a separatist movement
Derived forms
separatism (ˈseparaˌtism)
noun
separatistic (ˌseparaˈtistic)
adjective
Separatist in British English
(ˈsɛpərətɪst, ˈsɛprə-)
noun
(sometimes not capital) Canadian
a person who advocates the secession of a province, esp Quebec, from Canada
Derived forms
Separatism (ˈSeparaˌtism)
noun
separatist in American English
(ˈsɛpərətɪst; ˈsɛpəˌreɪtɪst)
noun
1.
a person who withdraws or secedes, esp. a member of a group that has seceded from a larger group; dissenter
2.
a person who advocates political, religious, or racial separation
adjective
3.
of separatists or separatism
Examples of 'separatist' in a sentence
separatist
He said the suspects were members of the southern separatist movement.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The most extreme segment of the women's movement is the separatists.
Hunt, E. K. Property and Prophets: The Evolution of Economic Institutions and Ideologies (1995)
The more bold have nervously asked for his view on the Basque separatist movement.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Maintaining stability and suppressing separatist movements is hugely important for Beijing.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Evidence is also mounting of feuds between the separatist groups as the battle for control of eastern Ukraine becomes increasingly splintered.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The separatists blamed government forces.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What do the separatists want?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Turkey has a large Kurdish population of its own and has suffered three decades of separatist violence in the south and east.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Thousands have been killed in clashes between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
separatist
British English: separatist ADJECTIVE
Separatist organizations and activities within a country involve members of a group of people who want to establish their own separate government or are trying to do so.
...a separatist movement.
American English: separatist
Brazilian Portuguese: separatista
Chinese: 分裂主义的
European Spanish: separatista
French: séparatiste
German: separatistisch
Italian: separatista
Japanese: 分離主義の
Korean: 분리주의의
European Portuguese: separatista
Latin American Spanish: separatista
British English: separatist NOUN
Separatists are people who want their own separate government or are involved in separatist activities.