Etymograph

English

secede

Secede comes from Latin secedere, and goes back to cēdō ‘to go’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcēdō1‘to go’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsecedere1
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2002secede1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English secede
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2002, Darryl E. Brock, José Agustín Quintero: Cuban Patriot in Confederate Diplomat: “At the same time, Nolan also secretly contracted with…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcēdōWiktionary, English secede‘to go’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsecedereWiktionary, English secede
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2002secedeWiktionary, English secede. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2002, Darryl E. Brock, José Agustín Quintero: Cuban Patriot in Confederate Diplomat: “At the same time, Nolan also secretly contracted with…”

Linked words

through Latin cēdō ‘to go’

process, success, necessary, procedure, accessible, excess, succeed, cease, recession, concession, accession, predecessor, cessation, recess, precedent, concede, secession, intercession, intercede, antecedent, decedent, 26 more

Today it means

verb To split from or to withdraw from membership of a political union, an alliance or an organisation.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “secede”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin cēdō / secede