separate

SaySEP-uh-rayt/ˈsɛpəˌɹeɪt/UK/ˈsɛpəɹeɪt/

As an adjective or nounSEP-uh-rit

Verbseparates, separating, separated

11 meanings of separate

Practice

1
not sharedadjective
Not joined to or shared with anything else.
Like two islands with no bridge between them.
Keep the raw meat on a separate plate.
The twins sleep in separate rooms.
2
verbtransitive
To make people or things be apart from each other.
Like a wall keeping two rooms apart.
The teacher had to separate the two arguing boys.
The big crowd separated me from my friends at the concert.
UsageSay separate two people, or separate A from B.
Similarpart, segregate, disunite
Oppositeunite, join, connect, reunite
3
verbtransitive
To be between two people, places, or things so that they are kept apart.
A tall fence separates our yard from the neighbor's.
Only a few feet separate the two desks in our office.
UsageThe thing in the middle comes first: a fence separates one yard from the other.
Similardivide
Oppositeconnect, join, link
4
verbtransitive
To take one thing out of a group it belongs to, so it stands alone.
Like pulling one grape off a bunch.
She separated the broken phone from the working ones.
You can separate the egg yolk from the white with a spoon.
UsageSay separate one thing from the others.
Similardisconnect, sever
Oppositejoin, attach, connect
Note
5
verbtransitive
To see how people or things are different, or to be the thing that makes one different.
It can be hard to separate true stories from false ones on the internet.
Hard work is what separates her from the other players.
UsageOften said as what separates one person from another. Separate the wheat from the chaff means keep only the good part.
Similardistinguish, differentiate
Note
6
split up (couple)verbintransitive
Of a married couple or partners: to stop living together, often before getting a divorce.
My parents separated when I was ten.
They decided to separate after years of fighting.
UsageSay they separated or she separated from him. Now they are separated.
Similarsplit, part
Oppositereconcile
7
verbtransitive
To split one thing into two or more parts.
Like cutting a cake into slices.
Please separate the laundry into lights and darks.
She separated the long document into three shorter sections.
UsageSay separate something into parts, like into groups.
Similardivide, split, partition, section
Oppositecombine, join, unite, merge
8
verbintransitive
To break apart on its own into pieces or different substances.
Like oil and water splitting into layers in a glass.
If you leave the sauce too long, the oil and water separate.
The mixture began to separate into two clear layers.
UsageSay the sauce separates, or oil and water separate.
Oppositecombine, merge, mix, blend
Note

Less common meanings

9
clothing itemnouncountable
A piece of clothing sold on its own, like a top or skirt, instead of as a set.
Like buying one shirt by itself instead of a whole outfit.
This blouse is sold as a separate, not as part of a suit.
The store arranges its separates by color.
UsageMost often said as separates, for more than one piece.
Note
10
verbobsolete
To set something apart and choose it for a special use.
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, Separate means to set people apart for a special job.
Similarassign, allocate, designate, earmark, dedicate
Note
11
noun
A single article from a magazine or journal, printed and shared on its own.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of separate apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Latin sēparō "to separate," made from sē- "apart" and parō "prepare." It came into Middle English as separaten.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Separate derives from Latin sēparō, meaning 'to separate'. en.wiktionary.org
Latin sēparō combines sē- 'apart' and parō 'prepare'. en.wiktionary.org
The word existed in Middle English as separaten. en.wiktionary.org