/ sɪˈseʃn; NAmE / noun
[ U , C ] secession (from sth) the fact of an area or group becoming independent from the country or larger group that it belongs to
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (denoting the withdrawal of the lower social classes from ancient Rome in order to compel the nobility to redress their grievances): from French sécession or Latin secessio(n-) , from secedere go apart, from se- apart + cedere go.