secede

verb

se·​cede si-ˈsēd 

seceded; seceding

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from an organization (such as a religious communion or political party or federation)

seceder noun

Examples of secede in a Sentence

South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860.

Recent Examples on the Web

Rising water across cities have caused officials to temporarily close roads, and officials have urged residents to remain off the streets until the water secedes. —Solcyré Burga, TIME, 13 June 2024

Texas and California — strange political bedfellows, which is doubtless the point — have seceded, forming the Western Alliance. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024

Further escalations in Kosovo will also invite chaos in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik—who has close ties to Putin—has threatened to have Bosnia’s Serbian territories secede. —David Shedd, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2023

Politics For subscribers There’s a new movement for La Jolla to secede from San Diego. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin secedere, from sed-, se- apart (from sed, se without) + cedere to go — more at suicide

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

secede

verb

se·​cede si-ˈsēd 

seceded; seceding

: to withdraw from an organization (as a nation, church, or political party)