Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Not joined or connected; distinct: Existing as an individual or independent entity, not physically attached or united with another.
   • Different; distinct: Used to describe things that are different from each other and not related or combined.
   • Existing or considered independently: Not shared or used jointly; intended for a particular person or purpose.

2. Noun:

   • A garment sold individually: An item of clothing, such as a skirt or blouse, designed to be worn in various combinations with other pieces.
   • A reprint: An article or chapter printed individually after originally being part of a larger publication.

3. Verb:

   • To move or come apart; to divide: To cause things that were together to no longer be connected, or to become disconnected.
   • To distinguish or differentiate: To recognize or show the difference between two or more things.
   • To stop living together as a couple: For a married or cohabiting couple to end their shared living arrangement.
   • To divide into categories or groups: To sort or classify items based on shared characteristics.
   • To act as a division or barrier: To lie between two areas, keeping them apart.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • They have separate bank accounts. (They maintain distinct, individual accounts.)
  • Please keep the recyclables in a separate bin. (Use a different, dedicated container for recyclable materials.)
  • The house has a separate garage. (The garage is a standalone structure, not attached to the house.)

• Noun:

  • She bought a silk separate to match her suit. (She purchased an individual blouse to coordinate with her suit.)
  • The journal published a separate of the most cited article. (The journal issued a standalone reprint of the article.)

• Verb:

  • Carefully separate the egg yolk from the white. (Divide the egg, keeping the yolk and white apart.)
  • It's important to separate facts from opinions. (It is crucial to differentiate between factual information and personal views.)
  • The couple decided to separate last year. (The couple chose to end their cohabitation.)
  • The teacher asked the children to separate the blocks by color. (The teacher instructed the children to sort the blocks into groups based on color.)
  • A high wall separates the two gardens. (A wall acts as a barrier between the two gardens.)

Advanced Usage

• "To separate the wheat from the chaff": To distinguish valuable people or things from worthless ones.
  • The rigorous interview process helps separate the wheat from the chaff.
• "To go one's separate ways": For people to end a relationship or association and pursue different paths.
  • After graduation, the friends went their separate ways.
• "A separate peace": An agreement or truce made independently of other, larger conflicts or groups.
  • The rebel faction sought a separate peace with the government.

Variants and Related Words

• Separately (adverb): In a separate manner; individually.
  • The items are sold separately.
• Separation (noun): The action or state of moving or being moved apart.
  • The separation of the two components is difficult.
• Separated (adjective): No longer living together as a couple.
  • They are separated but not divorced.
• Separable (adjective): Able to be separated or treated separately.
  • The issue is separable into two distinct problems.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Distinct, individual, detached, isolated, independent.
• Verb: Divide, split, part, disconnect, segregate, distinguish, classify.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Separate out: To remove one type of thing from a group or mixture.
  • You need to separate out the damaged goods from the rest.
• Separate off: To divide or mark a section as distinct.
  • A curtain was used to separate off a corner of the room.

Related Idioms

• Separate the men from the boys: To distinguish the experienced, competent, or brave people from the inexperienced or weak.
  • This challenging project will really separate the men from the boys.
• Separate but equal: A doctrine, now rejected, asserting that providing segregated facilities for different racial groups is acceptable if the facilities are equal in quality. (Primarily historical/legal context).
  • The "separate but equal" doctrine was overturned by the Supreme Court.

Adjective

1. have the connection undone; having become separate
2. separated according to race, sex, class, or religion
   • separate but equal
   • girls and boys in separate classes
3. standing apart; not attached to or supported by anything
   • a freestanding bell tower
   • a house with a separate garage
4. independent; not united or joint
   • a problem consisting of two separate issues
   • they went their separate ways
   • formed a separate church

Noun

1. a garment that can be purchased separately and worn in combinations with other garments
2. a separately printed article that originally appeared in a larger publication

Verb

1. divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork
   • The road forks
2. come apart
   • The two pieces that we had glued separated
3. treat differently on the basis of sex or race
4. become separated into pieces or fragments
   • The figurine broke
   • The freshly baked loaf fell apart
5. go one's own way; move apart
   • The friends separated after the party
6. discontinue an association or relation; go different ways
   • The business partners broke over a tax question
   • The couple separated after 25 years of marriage
   • My friend and I split up
7. make a division or separation
8. arrange or order by classes or categories
   • How would you classify these pottery shards--are they prehistoric?
9. divide into components or constituents
   • Separate the wheat from the chaff
10. separate into parts or portions
    • divide the cake into three equal parts
    • The British carved up the Ottoman Empire after World War I
11. mark as different
    • We distinguish several kinds of maple
12. force, take, or pull apart
    • He separated the fighting children
    • Moses parted the Red Sea
13. act as a barrier between; stand between
    • The mountain range divides the two countries