sep·a·rate
ˈse-pə-ˌrāt 
ˈse-ˌprāt
separated; separating
1
a
: to set or keep apart : disconnect, sever
b
: to make a distinction between : discriminate, distinguish
separate religion from magic
c
: sort
separate mail
d
: to disperse in space or time : scatter
widely separated homesteads
3
4
: to block off : segregate
5
a
: to isolate from a mixture : extract
separate cream from milk
b
: to divide into constituent parts
6
: to dislocate (something, such as a shoulder) especially in sports
1
: to become divided or detached
2
a
: to sever an association : withdraw
b
: to cease to live together as a married couple
3
: to go in different directions
4
: to become isolated from a mixture
the crystals separated out
sep·a·rate
ˈse-p(ə-)rət
1
2
a
: not shared with another : individual
separate rooms
b
often capitalized
: estranged from a parent body
separate churches
3
a
: existing by itself : autonomous
a separate country
b
: dissimilar in nature or identity
consulted five separate authorities
sep·a·rate
ˈse-p(ə-)rət
1
: offprint
2
: an article of dress designed to be worn interchangeably with others to form various costume combinations
—usually used in plural
Synonyms
Examples of separate in a Sentence
Verb
Though mechanical grain cutters, called reapers, began appearing around 1800, it was with Cyrus H. McCormick's version that agriculture entered the industrial age. Older reapers simply cut and dropped grain; McCormick's cut, separated, and collected it, increasing production and, ultimately, positioning the American Midwest as the breadbasket to the world.
—
Saveur, June/July 2008
Xanthan gum, for instance … is used in bottled salad dressing to slow the settling of the spice particles and keep water and oil from separating.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2007
The fact is that Washington has relaxed financial regulations under both Democratic and Republican administrations, opening the doors to conflicts of interest between brokers and investment bankers. In 1998, government, despite concerns, refused to separate consulting and auditing business.
—Jeff Madrick, New York Times Book Review, 29 Jan. 2006
On July 11 Brinkley's publicist announced the couple had separated. "She has been extremely concerned about the impact of this situation on her children and felt it was very important to protect them and take them away for a little bit," says one of Brinkley's close friends. "She is totally shocked and just devastated."
—Ericka Souter et al., People, 31 July 2006
They described the process used to separate cream from milk.
A great distance separated the sisters from each other.
They walked together to the corner, but then they separated and went their separate ways.
The main group separated into several smaller groups.
Oil and water separate when combined together.
The oil separated from the water.
The salt crystals separated out of the liquid.
Adjective
Today, there are an estimated 30,000 teams playing travel ball, which is entirely separate from more long-standing youth organizations like Little League …
—Sara Corbett, New York Times Sports Magazine, June 2006
On my last visit to Lucio, I went with a Spanish TV starlet whose sultry looks helped us land a prime table. Dining at separate tables around us were the Duchess of Badajoz, the king's sister; novelist Mario Vargas Llosa; and a gentleman rumored to be Spain's richest man.
—Anya von Bremzen, Saveur, November 2006
A variation of these reactions is reflected in the American deaf community, which is divided into two groups. One rejects the notion that they are disabled. Rather, they claim, they are a separate culture with its own language. The second group defines its deafness as a disability and is more likely to assimilate into the able-bodied world.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
There are separate restrooms for men and women.
The boys have separate rooms.
They slept in separate beds.
We use the same Internet service provider but have separate accounts.
That's an entirely separate issue.
Noun
"Women have a very strong sense of what works for them," says Lyn Devon, the New York designer who sells a nuanced line of silk separates and tailored dresses from her SoHo studio.
—Jane Herman, Vogue, June 2006
Saveur, June/July 2008
Xanthan gum, for instance … is used in bottled salad dressing to slow the settling of the spice particles and keep water and oil from separating.
—Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2007
The fact is that Washington has relaxed financial regulations under both Democratic and Republican administrations, opening the doors to conflicts of interest between brokers and investment bankers. In 1998, government, despite concerns, refused to separate consulting and auditing business.
—Jeff Madrick, New York Times Book Review, 29 Jan. 2006
On July 11 Brinkley's publicist announced the couple had separated. "She has been extremely concerned about the impact of this situation on her children and felt it was very important to protect them and take them away for a little bit," says one of Brinkley's close friends. "She is totally shocked and just devastated."
—Ericka Souter et al., People, 31 July 2006
They described the process used to separate cream from milk.
A great distance separated the sisters from each other.
They walked together to the corner, but then they separated and went their separate ways.
The main group separated into several smaller groups.
Oil and water separate when combined together.
The oil separated from the water.
The salt crystals separated out of the liquid.
Adjective
Today, there are an estimated 30,000 teams playing travel ball, which is entirely separate from more long-standing youth organizations like Little League …
—Sara Corbett, New York Times Sports Magazine, June 2006
On my last visit to Lucio, I went with a Spanish TV starlet whose sultry looks helped us land a prime table. Dining at separate tables around us were the Duchess of Badajoz, the king's sister; novelist Mario Vargas Llosa; and a gentleman rumored to be Spain's richest man.
—Anya von Bremzen, Saveur, November 2006
A variation of these reactions is reflected in the American deaf community, which is divided into two groups. One rejects the notion that they are disabled. Rather, they claim, they are a separate culture with its own language. The second group defines its deafness as a disability and is more likely to assimilate into the able-bodied world.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
There are separate restrooms for men and women.
The boys have separate rooms.
They slept in separate beds.
We use the same Internet service provider but have separate accounts.
That's an entirely separate issue.
Noun
"Women have a very strong sense of what works for them," says Lyn Devon, the New York designer who sells a nuanced line of silk separates and tailored dresses from her SoHo studio.
—Jane Herman, Vogue, June 2006
Recent Examples on the WebEmma Reynolds, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2024
In the late seventies, my father and mother, an Upper West Side couple, separated.
—D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
Melissa Highsmith Melissa Highsmith was reunited with her family in November 2022 after being separated for over 50 years.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 28 Apr. 2024
The baggage handlers had separated wheels from dozens of wheelchair frames while loading them onto the plane.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
Private security guards with bikes separated the pro-Palestinian group from Israel supporters, and UCLA eventually added metal barricades after counter-protesters repeatedly tried to breach the encampment and in at least one case witnessed by The Times entered and shoved a woman to the ground.
—Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
The back, though liable to separate from the plane in a catastrophic crash, is more likely to stay intact than the front and middle portions that are still connected to the engines.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 26 Apr. 2024
The crew capsule will separate from the booster and come down under a set of parachutes — emitting a last-minute retro thrust to reduce speed to about 2 miles per hour to cushion the impact.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
Over time, and as enrollments grew, high schools abandoned a common course of study, separating the curriculum into tracks leading to different outcomes, from the vocational track at the bottom to the college-prep track at the top.
—Deborah Malizia, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
David Meyer, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Unlike regular stocks where there are leaders and laggards rising and falling wholly separate from each other, the NFT sector seems to jointly rise and fall completely in sync when crypto does the same.
—Larry Dvoskin, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Nitrogen is a very important nutrient for life to exist and plants normally get it through mutual relationships with the bacteria that remain separate from the plant or algae.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
The speaker needs Democratic support on the procedural maneuvers to advance his complex plan of holding separate votes on each part of the aid package.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 18 Apr. 2024
Congress is set to vote on the matter on Saturday, although Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing opposition from some fellow Republicans on a separate vote for aid for Ukraine.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2024
In a separate arrest, prosecutors said he was accused of stealing a car in Los Angeles.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
On a separate issue, Public Defender Carlos Martinez and Clerk of the Court and Comptroller Juan Fernandez-Barquin, also vowed to pursue a program to help reduce the number of people who wind up arrested and even jailed because of unpaid traffic fines.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
The art deco style structure (reminiscent of Kansas City’s City Hall) still houses Clay County administrators, while the jail operates in a separate annex nearby.
—Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Apr. 2024
Our Ready-to-Wear pieces at the Atelier are a mix of suiting separates, multimedia dresses, and unisex workwear jackets.
—Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Nothing too drastic, but a softer cut, a little bit more like separates.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2024
Team it up with easy separates like a cardigan and ivory pencil skirt.
—Sarah Zendejas, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Fishnets and fluffy socks are complemented by ethereal lace separates and leather.
—Audra Heinrichs, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
From suiting and separates, to dresses and gowns that could be worn again (and again), some of the buzziest wedding dress designers and brands are reshaping the possibilities of wedding day attire.
—Laura Neilson, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
The first Gen Z-er to occupy the White House, Obama is adopting the new generation’s sartorial tendencies, showing off a penchant for baggy separates, cropped shirts, funky pattern mixing, and lug-sole stompers.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 Feb. 2024
Sinead O’Dwyer, remaining faithful to her signature hip-skimming style, unveiled a collection of tailored separates, showcasing her versatility.
—Sarah Mower, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
Casement windows separate the bathroom and bedroom, and the walk-in closet also features a see-through casement door.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2024
In the late seventies, my father and mother, an Upper West Side couple, separated.
—D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
Melissa Highsmith Melissa Highsmith was reunited with her family in November 2022 after being separated for over 50 years.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 28 Apr. 2024
The baggage handlers had separated wheels from dozens of wheelchair frames while loading them onto the plane.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024
Private security guards with bikes separated the pro-Palestinian group from Israel supporters, and UCLA eventually added metal barricades after counter-protesters repeatedly tried to breach the encampment and in at least one case witnessed by The Times entered and shoved a woman to the ground.
—Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
The back, though liable to separate from the plane in a catastrophic crash, is more likely to stay intact than the front and middle portions that are still connected to the engines.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 26 Apr. 2024
The crew capsule will separate from the booster and come down under a set of parachutes — emitting a last-minute retro thrust to reduce speed to about 2 miles per hour to cushion the impact.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 25 Apr. 2024
Over time, and as enrollments grew, high schools abandoned a common course of study, separating the curriculum into tracks leading to different outcomes, from the vocational track at the bottom to the college-prep track at the top.
—Deborah Malizia, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
Adjective
All this is separate from Google’s firing of 28 employees who participated in a sit-in protest against the company’s involvement in the Israeli government cloud contract known as Project Nimbus.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024
Unlike regular stocks where there are leaders and laggards rising and falling wholly separate from each other, the NFT sector seems to jointly rise and fall completely in sync when crypto does the same.
—Larry Dvoskin, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2024
Nitrogen is a very important nutrient for life to exist and plants normally get it through mutual relationships with the bacteria that remain separate from the plant or algae.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
The speaker needs Democratic support on the procedural maneuvers to advance his complex plan of holding separate votes on each part of the aid package.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 18 Apr. 2024
Congress is set to vote on the matter on Saturday, although Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing opposition from some fellow Republicans on a separate vote for aid for Ukraine.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2024
In a separate arrest, prosecutors said he was accused of stealing a car in Los Angeles.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
On a separate issue, Public Defender Carlos Martinez and Clerk of the Court and Comptroller Juan Fernandez-Barquin, also vowed to pursue a program to help reduce the number of people who wind up arrested and even jailed because of unpaid traffic fines.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024
The art deco style structure (reminiscent of Kansas City’s City Hall) still houses Clay County administrators, while the jail operates in a separate annex nearby.
—Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024
Noun
Tons of the brand’s mix-and-match bikini separates are now available for less than $10 each, making them just about the cheapest (but cutest) pieces on the market.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Apr. 2024
Our Ready-to-Wear pieces at the Atelier are a mix of suiting separates, multimedia dresses, and unisex workwear jackets.
—Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Nothing too drastic, but a softer cut, a little bit more like separates.
—Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2024
Team it up with easy separates like a cardigan and ivory pencil skirt.
—Sarah Zendejas, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Fishnets and fluffy socks are complemented by ethereal lace separates and leather.
—Audra Heinrichs, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
From suiting and separates, to dresses and gowns that could be worn again (and again), some of the buzziest wedding dress designers and brands are reshaping the possibilities of wedding day attire.
—Laura Neilson, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
The first Gen Z-er to occupy the White House, Obama is adopting the new generation’s sartorial tendencies, showing off a penchant for baggy separates, cropped shirts, funky pattern mixing, and lug-sole stompers.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 Feb. 2024
Sinead O’Dwyer, remaining faithful to her signature hip-skimming style, unveiled a collection of tailored separates, showcasing her versatility.
—Sarah Mower, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'separate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to separate
Dictionary Entries Near separate
Cite this Entry
“Separate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separate. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
separate
1 of 3 verb
sep·a·rate
ˈsep-ə-ˌrāt
separated; separating
1
a
: to set or keep apart
separate the pages with a slip of paper
b
: to make a distinction between : distinguish
separate fact from fiction
c
: sort entry 2 sense 1
separate mail
d
: to spread widely in space or time : scatter
widely separated homesteads
2
: to end a relationship with that is bound by a contract
separated from the army
3
: to isolate or become isolated from a mixture
separate cream from milk
4
: to become divided or detached : come apart
5
: to cease to live together as a married couple
6
: to go in different directions
separate
2 of 3 adjective
sep·a·rate
ˈsep-(ə-)rət
1
: set or kept apart
the motel contains fifty separate units
2
: not shared with another : individual
separate rooms
3
: having independent existence
the separate pieces of a puzzle
separately
adverb
separateness
noun
separate
3 of 3 noun
sep·a·rate
ˈsep-(ə-)rət
: an article of dress designed to be worn interchangeably with others to form different outfits
—usually used in plural
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
separate
verb
sep·a·rate
ˈse-pə-ˌrāt
separated; separating
: to cause the separation of
: to undergo a separation
the couple separated last year
compare divorce
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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