noun
- a person who advocates or supports the separation or dissolution of a political union, especially the breakup of a nation or federation
Usage: historical: often used in reference to those who supported Southern secession before and during the American Civil War
Examples
- The disunionists in the South believed their states had the right to leave the Union.
- Northern politicians condemned the disunionists for threatening the nation's stability.
- Some historians view the disunionists as defenders of state sovereignty.
- The disunionist movement gained momentum in the 1850s.
- He was labeled a disunionist for his speeches advocating regional independence.