separation

US /ˌsep.əˈɹæɪ.ʃən/ UK /ˌsɛp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #7643

Meanings

1

noun
The act of dividing or keeping people or things apart, or the state of being apart.

The long separation from her family was hard to bear.
2

noun
The act of keeping things distinct or sorting one thing from another.

The constitution requires the separation of church and state.
3

noun
An arrangement in which a married couple lives apart while still legally married.

After years of arguing, they agreed to a trial separation.
4

noun
The distance or space between things.

Fragile items require separation and cushioning during shipping.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

4 noun · the distance or space... interval

More departitiondetachment disassociation disconnection discontinuity disengagement disjunctiondisseverancedissociationdisuniondisunitydivision

Opposites

junction

Word family

Forms separations

Derived forms antiseparationbioseparationdiastereoseparationelectroseparationenantioseparationimmunoseparationmicroseparationnanoseparationnonseparationpostseparationpreseparationreseparation

Related forms division fission interspace

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

legal separation
a formally recognized arrangement in which spouses live apart while remaining married

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Attested in the 15th Century C.E.; from Middle English separacioun, from Old French separacion, from Latin separatio, separationem. Morphologically separate + -ion.

separacioun Middle English separacion Old French separatio Latin

View etymology graph ->

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# separation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌsep.əˈɹæɪ.ʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌsɛp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 7643

## Meanings
1. The act of dividing or keeping people or things apart, or the state of being apart.
2. The act of keeping things distinct or sorting one thing from another.
3. An arrangement in which a married couple lives apart while still legally married.
4. The distance or space between things.

## Examples
- The long separation from her family was hard to bear.
- The constitution requires the separation of church and state.
- After years of arguing, they agreed to a trial separation.
- Fragile items require separation and cushioning during shipping.

## Synonyms
- departition
- detachment
- disassociation
- disconnection
- discontinuity
- disengagement
- disjunction
- disseverance
- dissociation
- disunion
- disunity
- division

## Antonyms
- junction

## Derived Forms
- antiseparation
- bioseparation
- diastereoseparation
- electroseparation
- enantioseparation
- immunoseparation
- microseparation
- nanoseparation
- nonseparation
- postseparation
- preseparation
- reseparation

## Related Forms
- division
- fission
- interspace

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: separacioun
- Root: separacion
- Root: separatio

## Etymology
Attested in the 15th Century C.E.; from Middle English separacioun, from Old French separacion, from Latin separatio, separationem. Morphologically separate + -ion.

## AI Etymology
Separation is attested in the 15th Century C.E.; from Middle English separacioun, from Old French separacion, from Latin separatio, separationem. Morphologically separate + -ion. Important forms in the word's history include Middle English separacioun, Old French separacion, Latin separatio. In current use it includes senses such as The act of dividing or keeping people or things apart, or the state of being apart and The act of keeping things distinct or sorting one thing from another.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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