Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Separatist principles or practices; disposition to separate or withdraw from some combination or union.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The character or act of a separatist; disposition to withdraw from a church; the practice of so withdrawing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A theory or doctrine which supports a state of separation between organizations, institutions, or other societal groups (e.g. between church and state) or between different political jurisdictions (e.g. a country and its former colony).
  • noun The practice of treating members of different societal groups in a politically, legally, or economically different manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun advocacy of a policy of strict separation of church and state
  • noun a disposition toward schism and secession from a larger group; the principles and practices of separatists
  • noun a social system that provides separate facilities for minority groups

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Third, separatism is um foundational to fundamentalism, and it requires people who leave to be considered apostate.

    In Which I Wax Mostly Clever « Unknowing 2009

  • Basically separatism is an idea that will die with an older generation who continues to support it vehemently.

    Matthew Yglesias » My Long-Awaited Revenge 2009

  • Nationalist-based fascism and separatism is not a Texas or Southern issue, it's the train that the Far Right is now riding in every region of America.

    Archive 2009-04-01 2009

  • Nationalist-based fascism and separatism is not a Texas or Southern issue, it's the train that the Far Right is now riding in every region of America.

    Stop Letting Their Lies Frame The Discourse 2009

  • David Cameron, at the Scottish Conservatives Conference warned that the Union had never been in more danger and "the ugly stain of separatism is seeping through the Union flag"; what is the best way we, as UK Unionists, can prevent that stain from spreading?

    On the spot: Neil Johnston, NI Conservatives. O'Neill 2008

  • The most recent polls indicate separatism is supported by only about one third of the population of Quebec, the lowest number in forty years, yet the Bloc got most seats.

    Matthew Yglesias » Worthwhile Canadian Blogpost 2008

  • The most recent polls indicate separatism is supported by only about one third of the population of Quebec, the lowest number in forty years, yet the Bloc got most seats.

    Matthew Yglesias » Worthwhile Canadian Blogpost 2008

  • The issue of Basque separatism is central to the novel.

    The Spanish Game by Charles Cumming: Questions 2008

  • Cases where imposition of attempted imposition of monolingualism made no difference or made worse separatist tensions: 19th century Ireland (Irish almost wiped out by enforced English-only in the National Schools: made bugger-all difference to Irish desires for separatism from the UK, Kurds in Turkey, Kosovar Albanians in the 1990s.)

    Matthew Yglesias » Getting Worse 2007

  • Quebec separatism is an emotional issue, not an intellectual one.

    not so fast 2005

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