What does "separate" mean?

1. (to move apart) to move things or people away from each other so they are no longer together. 2. (to stop living together) to stop living with your husband, wife, or partner. 3. (not connected) not joined to something else; existing by itself. 4. (clothing items) clothes that are sold individually rather than as a set, like a skirt and a blouse.

How do you use "separate"?

Often used with the preposition 'from'. Intransitive in this sense. Usually used in the plural form.

separate — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "I need to seperate the laundry."?

No — say "I need to separate the laundry.". A common spelling error is using 'e' instead of 'a' in the middle; remember 'there is a rat in separate'.

Word

01to move apart

A2 · Elementary

v. to move things or people away from each other so they are no longer together.

v. to cause things or people to be apart; to disunite or disconnect a group or mass.

“The teacher had to separate the two students because they wouldn't stop talking.”

“The police line was established to separate the protesters from the counter-protesters and prevent any physical confrontation.”

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'from'.

Pitfall

I need to seperate the laundry.

I need to separate the laundry.

A common spelling error is using 'e' instead of 'a' in the middle; remember 'there is a rat in separate'.

Synonyms

divide split disconnect

Antonyms

join unite combine

02to stop living together

B1 · Intermediate

v. to stop living with your husband, wife, or partner.

v. to cease living together as a married or cohabiting couple.

“My parents decided to separate last year, but they are still good friends.”

“After years of trying to resolve their differences, the couple decided to separate legally before filing for a full divorce.”

Usage

Intransitive in this sense.

Synonyms

break up split up

Antonyms

marry reconcile

03not connected

A2 · Elementary

adj. not joined to something else; existing by itself.

adj. existing as an independent entity; not shared or joined.

“The children sleep in separate rooms now that they are older.”

“The researchers published their findings in three separate reports to ensure each experiment received detailed attention.”

Teaching tip

Note the pronunciation difference: the verb ends in /-eɪt/ while the adjective ends in /-ət/.

Synonyms

independent detached individual

Antonyms

connected joined shared

04clothing items

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. clothes that are sold individually rather than as a set, like a skirt and a blouse.

n. individual articles of clothing, such as skirts, trousers, or jackets, designed to be worn in various combinations.

“She prefers buying separates so she can mix and match her work outfits.”

“The boutique specialises in high-end separates, allowing customers to coordinate different sizes for jackets and trousers.”

Usage

Usually used in the plural form.

Synonyms

individual pieces

Antonyms

suit outfit set

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “separate” in context.

01. clearly separate 02. completely separate 03. easily separate 04. entirely separate 05. physically separate 06. separate analysis 07. separate area 08. separate assessment 09. separate capacity 10. separate category 11. separate chapter 12. separate class

From Middle English separaten (“to separate”), from separat (“separated”) + -en, from Latin sēparātus, perfect passive participle of sēparō (“to separate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from sē- (“apart”) + parō (“prepare”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“produce, procure, bring forward, bring forth”). Displaced Middle English scheden, from Old English scēadan (whence English shed). Doublet of sever, also derived from the same Latin verb.