A separatist is a person who believes that a particular group of people should live together in a community defined by a common trait such as ethnic origin, race, or language.

In the United States, black separatists and neo-Nazis have a surprising rapport because they agree on separation. They both want the black and white communities to be independent of each other. Politics makes strange bedfellows, I guess.

Basque separatists and their army, the ETA, fight as they have for hundreds of years to keep their language and culture from assimilation by France and Spain, and to reinstate traditional Basque government as an autonomous unit. They do this by blowing up McDonalds and other symbols of cultural imperialism. I'm not sure how that helps to build respect for Basque autonomy, but anything that takes out a McDonalds can't be all bad.

Sep`a*ra*tist (?), n. [Cf. F. s'eparatiste.]

One who withdraws or separates himself; especially, one who withdraws from a church to which he has belonged; a seceder from an established church; a dissenter; a nonconformist; a schismatic; a sectary.

Heavy fines on divines who should preach in any meeting of separatist . Macaulay.

 

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.