# separation

Pronunciation: say "sep-uh-RAY-shuhn" US/UK /ˌsɛp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, AUS /ˌsep.əˈɹæɪ.ʃən/

## Noun

1. The act of disuniting two or more things, or the state of being kept apart.
   - Simple: The act of taking two or more things apart, or the state of being kept apart.
   - _The separation of oil and water occurs naturally once the mixture settles._
   - _Chemists rely on careful separation to isolate each compound in the sample._
2. The act or state of two or more people being kept apart from one another.
   - Simple: Being kept apart from other people, or the act of splitting people up.
   - _The separation of the twins at birth haunted them for decades._
   - _Prolonged separation from loved ones can wear down a soldier's morale._
3. The state of a married couple living apart in separate homes while still legally married.
   - Simple: When a married couple lives in separate homes but stays legally married.
   - _The couple's separation gave them space to reconsider the marriage._
   - _She moved out, and their separation became permanent within months._
4. An interval, gap, or space that lies between things or people.
   - Simple: A gap or space between two things or people.
   - _The separation between the two buildings was just wide enough for a path._
   - _Pilots maintain a safe separation between aircraft in flight._
5. The point or place at which a division occurs.
   - Simple: The exact spot where something splits into parts.
   - _Geologists examined the separation where the two rock strata met._
   - _The fabric tore right at the separation of the two panels._
6. A physical object that divides one space from another.
   - Simple: A thing placed between two spaces to keep them apart.
   - _A glass separation kept the lobby noise out of the office._
   - _The studio used a folding separation to split the room in two._
7. A legal agreement that formalizes a married couple's living apart while remaining legally married.
   - Simple: A legal paper that lets a married couple live apart but stay married.
   - _The couple's separation outlined how they would divide their expenses._
   - _Her attorney filed the separation with the county court._
8. A service member's departure from active duty, without necessarily leaving the armed forces altogether.
   - Simple: Leaving active duty in the military without always leaving the service.
   - _His separation from active duty was processed at the end of his enlistment._
   - _The sergeant's separation moved her into the reserve component._

## Origin

First attested in the 15th century, it comes from Middle English "separacioun," from Old French "separacion," from Latin "separatio" ("separationem"). It is formed from "separate" plus the suffix "-ion."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/separation (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).