Secessionists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals or groups advocating for the separation of a specific region from a larger political entity
2. Activists seeking autonomy or independence from an established governance or authority
3. Partisans promoting the withdrawal of a territory from a larger jurisdiction, typically through political or military means

Etymology: "Secessionist" is a plain formation: "secession" plus the suffix "-ist," meaning a person who supports or practises something. "Secession" comes from Latin "secessio," a withdrawal or going apart, built from "se-" (apart) and "cedere" (to go). The suffix traces back through Old French "-iste" and Latin "-ista" to Ancient Greek "-istḗs," an agent ending used for people who follow a practice or belief. The Latin root "cedere" is the same verb behind "cede," "precede," and "recede," so a secessionist is, at heart, someone who wants to walk away from a larger whole. The word is a compound of familiar parts, and its sense comes straight from the literal act of going apart.

Synonyms: dissidents, breakaway groups

Antonyms: unionists