separate
to start to live in a different place from your husband or wife because the relationship has ended
My parents separated when I was six and divorced a couple of years later.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
separate
verb (separates, separating, separated)
1 to stop being together same meaning split up:
My parents separated when I was a baby.
2 to divide people or things; to keep people or things away from each other same meaning split:
The teacher separated the class into two groups.
3 to be between two things:
The Mediterranean separates Europe and Africa.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
II. sep‧a‧rate2 S2 W2 /ˈsepəreɪt/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑separation, ↑separates, ↑separatist, ↑separatism, ↑separator, inseperability; adjective: ↑separable ≠ ↑inseparable, ↑separate, ↑separated; adverb: ↑inseparably, ↑separately; verb: ↑separate]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of separare, from se- 'apart' + parare 'to prepare, get']
1. BE BETWEEN [transitive] if something separates two places or two things, it is between them so that they are not touching each other
separate something from something
The lighthouse is separated from the land by a wide channel.
2. DIVIDE [intransitive and transitive] to divide or split into different parts, or to make something do this:
This will keep your dressing from separating.
separate from
At this point, the satellite separates from its launcher.
separate something into something
Separate the students into four groups.
First, separate the eggs (=divide the white part from the yellow part).
3. STOP LIVING TOGETHER [intransitive] if two people who are married or have been living together separate, they start to live apart:
Jill and John separated a year ago.
4. RECOGNIZE DIFFERENCE [transitive] to recognize that one thing or idea is different from another
separate something from something
She finds it difficult to separate fact from fantasy.
5. MOVE APART [intransitive and transitive] if people separate, or if someone or something separates them, they move apart:
Ed stepped in to separate the two dogs.
separate somebody from somebody/something
In the fog, they got separated from the group.
6. MAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING DIFFERENT [transitive] to be the quality or fact that makes someone or something different from other people or things
separate something from something
The capacity to think separates humans from animals.
7. BETTER/OLDER [transitive] if an amount separates two things, one thing is better or older than the other by that amount:
Three points now separate the two teams.
8. separate the men from the boys informal to show clearly which people are brave, strong, or skilled, and which are not
9. separate the sheep from the goats British English (also separate the wheat from the chaff) to separate the good things from the bad things
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to make something separate
▪ separate verb [transitive] to divide something into two or more parts or groups, or to divide one type of thing from another. You use separate especially when saying that the parts are different from each other: Motorola is planning to separate the company into two public companies. | The items are separated into recyclable and non-recyclable waste.
▪ divide verb [transitive] to make something become two or more parts or groups: The teacher divided us into groups. | The money was divided between them. | The house is divided into three apartments.
▪ split verb [transitive] to separate something into two or more groups, parts etc – used especially when each part is equal in size: The class was split into groups of six.
▪ break something up phrasal verb [transitive] to separate something into several smaller parts, especially to make it easier to deal with: The phone company was broken up to encourage competition. | Police used tear gas to break up the crowd.
▪ segregate verb [transitive] to separate one group of people from others because of race, sex, religion etc: Schools were racially segregated. | Some prisons segregate prisoners who are infected with HIV.
■ to become separate
▪ separate verb [intransitive] to divide into different parts, especially in a natural way: A watery liquid separates from the milk during cheesemaking.
▪ split verb [intransitive] to separate into two or more parts or groups – used especially when each part is equal in size: What happens when an atom splits?
▪ break up phrasal verb [intransitive] to separate into several smaller parts: In spring, the icebergs begin to break up.
separate somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. to divide a group of people or things into smaller groups:
We must separate out these different factors and examine each one.
2. to remove one type of thing or person from a group
separate somebody/something ↔ out from
Many older people may prefer not to be separated out from the rest of the adult population.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
verb [ˈsepəreɪt] ; [ˈsepəreɪt]
1. intransitive, transitive to divide into different parts or groups; to divide things into different parts or groups
• Stir the sauce constantly so that it does not separate.
• ~ sth Separate the eggs (= separate the yolk from the white).
• ~ sth from/and sth It is impossible to separate belief from emotion.
• ~ sth into sth Make a list of points and separate them into ‘desirable’ and ‘essential’.
2. intransitive, transitive to move apart; to make people or things move apart
• South America and Africa separated 200 million years ago.
• ~ from sth South America separated from Africa 200 million years ago.
• ~ into sth We separated into several different search parties.
• ~ sb/sth Police tried to separate the two men who were fighting.
• The war separated many families.
• ~ sb/sth from/and sb/sth Those suffering from infectious diseases were separated from the other patients.
3. transitive to be between two people, areas, countries, etc. so that they are not touching or connected
• ~ sb/sth A thousand kilometres separates the two cities.
• ~ sb/sth from/and sb A high wall separated our back yard from the playing field.
4. intransitive to stop living together as a couple with your husband, wife or partner
• They separated last year.
• ~ from sb He separated from his wife after 20 years of marriage.
5. transitive ~ sb/sth (from sb/sth) to make sb/sth different in some way from sb/sth else
Syn: divide
• Politics is the only thing that separates us (= that we disagree about).
• Her lack of religious faith separated her from the rest of her family.
• The judges found it impossible to separate the two contestants (= they gave them equal scores).
• Only four points separate the top three teams.
see separate/sort out the men from the boys at man n., sort out/separate the sheep from the goats at sheep, sort out/separate the wheat from the chaff at wheat
Verb forms:
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin separat- ‘disjoined, divided’, from the verb separare, from se- ‘apart’ + parare ‘prepare’.
Thesaurus:
separate verb
1. I, T
• It is impossible to separate belief from emotion.
disentangle • • sort sth out • • filter sth out • |formal divorce •
separate/disentangle/sort out/divorce sth from sth else
separate/disentangle the strands of sth
be totally/easily separated/divorced from sth
2. I, T
• The war separated many families.
break (sth) up • • scatter • • isolate • • cut sb/sth off • |written disperse • |formal part • • divide • • segregate •
separate/isolate/cut off/part/divide/segregate sb/sth from sb/sth else
a crowd scatters/disperses/parts
3. T
• A high wall separated the school from the park.
divide • • partition • • mark sth off • • fence sth off • • cordon sth off • • seal sth off •
separate/divide/partition sth into different sections/areas
separate/divide/partition/mark off/fence off/cordon off/seal off an area
a wall separates/divides sth from sth else
4. I
• He separated from his wife last year.
split (up) • • break up • • divorce • • get divorced •
separate/split (up) from sb
split (up)/break up with sb
a couple separates/splits (up)/breaks up/divorces/gets divorced
Word Family:
separate adjective
separately adverb
separable adjective (≠ inseparable)
separate verb
separated adjective
separation noun
Collocations:
Marriage and divorce
Romance
fall/be (madly/deeply/hopelessly) in love (with sb)
be/believe in/fall in love at first sight
be/find true love/the love of your life
suffer (from) (the pains/pangs of) unrequited love
have/feel/show/express great/deep/genuine affection for sb/sth
meet/marry your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have/go on a (blind) date
be going out with/ (especially NAmE) dating a guy/girl/boy/man/woman
move in with/live with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner
Weddings
get/be engaged/married/divorced
arrange/plan a wedding
have a big wedding/a honeymoon/a happy marriage
have/enter into an arranged marriage
call off/cancel/postpone your wedding
invite sb to/go to/attend a wedding/a wedding ceremony/a wedding reception
conduct/perform a wedding ceremony
exchange rings/wedding vows/marriage vows
congratulate/toast/raise a glass to the happy couple
be/go on honeymoon (with your wife/husband)
celebrate your first (wedding) anniversary
Separation and divorce
be unfaithful to/ (informal) cheat on your husband/wife/partner/fiancé/fiancée/boyfriend/girlfriend
have an affair (with sb)
break off/end an engagement/a relationship
break up with/split up with/ (informal) dump your boyfriend/girlfriend
separate from/be separated from/leave/divorce your husband/wife
annul/dissolve a marriage
apply for/ask for/go through/get a divorce
get/gain/be awarded/have/lose custody of the children
pay alimony/child support (to your ex-wife/husband)
Example Bank:
• A magnet separates out scrap iron from the rubbish.
• He had recently separated from his wife.
• I separated the documents into two piles.
• It was impossible to separate the rival fans.
• Mechanically separated meat made from cattle and sheep has now been banned.
• One cannot easily separate moral, social and political issues.
• She is separated from her husband.
• Slave parents were forcibly separated from their children.
• The boys are separated from the girls.
• The disciplines of science and engineering are not always sharply separated.
• The two groups became widely separated.
• These two branches of the science have now become clearly separated.
• an island resort totally separated from the mainland
• A high wall separated our block from the playing field.
• A thousand kilometres separate the two cities.
• First, separate the eggs.
• Politics is the only thing that separates us.
• The judges found it impossible to separate the two contestants.
• Two men separated from the others and walked towards me.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
separate / ˈsep. ə r.eɪt / / -ə.reɪt / verb (RELATIONSHIP)
B2 [ I ] to start to live in a different place from your husband or wife because the relationship has ended:
My parents separated when I was six and divorced a couple of years later.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
separate
separates, separating, separated
(The adjective and noun are pronounced [se̱pərət]. The verb is pronounced [se̱pəreɪt].)
1) ADJ: oft ADJ from n If one thing is separate from another, there is a barrier, space, or division between them, so that they are clearly two things.
Each villa has a separate sitting-room...
They are now making plans to form their own separate party...
Business bank accounts were kept separate from personal ones.
Derived words:
separateness N-UNCOUNT ...establishing Australia's cultural separateness from Britain.
2) ADJ: usu ADJ n If you refer to separate things, you mean several different things, rather than just one thing.
Use separate chopping boards for raw meats, cooked meats, vegetables and salads...
Men and women have separate exercise rooms...
The authorities say six civilians have been killed in two separate attacks.
Syn:
different
3) V-RECIP-ERG If you separate people or things that are together, or if they separate, they move apart.
[V pl-n] Police moved in to separate the two groups...
[V n from n] The pans were held in both hands and swirled around to separate gold particles from the dirt...
[V from n] The front end of the car separated from the rest of the vehicle...
[pl-n V] They separated. Stephen returned to the square...
[V-ed] They're separated from the adult inmates.
4) V-RECIP-ERG If you separate people or things that have been connected, or if one separates from another, the connection between them is ended.
[V n from n] They want to separate teaching from research...
[V pl-n] It's very possible that we may see a movement to separate the two parts of the country...
[V from n] He announced a new ministry to deal with Quebec's threat to separate from Canada. [Also pl-n V]
5) V-RECIP If a couple who are married or living together separate, they decide to live apart.
[pl-n V] Her parents separated when she was very young...
[V from n] Since I separated from my husband I have gone a long way.
6) VERB An object, obstacle, distance, or period of time which separates two people, groups, or things exists between them.
[V n from n] ...the white-railed fence that separated the yard from the paddock.
[V pl-n] ...although they had undoubtedly made progress in the six years that separated the two periods...
[V pl-n] Rural communities are widely separated and often small...
[get V-ed] But a group of six women and 23 children got separated from the others.
7) VERB If you separate one idea or fact from another, you clearly see or show the difference between them.
[V n from n] It is difficult to separate legend from truth.
[V n from n] ...learning how to separate real problems from imaginary illnesses...
[V pl-n] It is difficult to separate the two aims.
Syn:
distinguish
PHRASAL VERB
Separate out means the same as separate. V P n from n How can one ever separate out the act from the attitudes that surround it?
8) VERB A quality or factor that separates one thing from another is the reason why the two things are different from each other.
[V n from n] The single most important factor that separates ordinary photographs from good photographs is the lighting...
[V n from n] What separates terrorism from other acts of violence?
Syn:
distinguish
9) VERB If a particular number of points separate two teams or competitors, one of them is winning or has won by that number of points.
[V pl-n] In the end only three points separated the two teams.
10) V-ERG If you separate a group of people or things into smaller elements, or if a group separates, it is divided into smaller elements.
[V n into n] The police wanted to separate them into smaller groups...
[V n into n] Wallerstein's work can be separated into three main component themes...
[V into n] Let's separate into smaller groups...
So all the colours that make up white light are sent in different directions and they separate.
Syn:
split
PHRASAL VERB
Separate out means the same as separate. V P If prepared many hours ahead, the mixture may separate out.
11) N-PLURAL Separates are clothes such as skirts, trousers, and shirts which cover just the top half or the bottom half of your body.
12) → See also separated
13) PHRASE: V inflects When two or more people who have been together for some time go their separate ways, they go to different places or end their relationship.
Sue was 27 when she and her husband decided to go their separate ways.
14) to separate the wheat from the chaff → see chaff
Phrasal Verbs:
- separate out
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
separate
2sep·a·rate /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/ verb -rates; -rat·ed; -rat·ing
1 [+ obj] : to cause (two or more people or things) to stop being together, joined, or connected : to make (people or things) separate
• He separated the fighters (from each other).
• They described the process used to separate cream from milk.
• (US) He fell and separated [=dislocated] his shoulder. [=caused the bone in his shoulder to move out of its proper position]
2 [+ obj] : to be between (two things or people)
• A river separates the two towns. = The two towns are separated by a river. [=there is a river between the two towns]
• A great distance separated the sisters from each other.
3 [no obj] : to stop being together, joined, or connected : to become separate
• They walked together to the corner, but then they separated and went their separate ways.
• The main group separated into several smaller groups.
• Oil and water separate when combined together.
• The oil separated from the water.
• The salt crystals separated out of the liquid.
4 [no obj] : to stop living with a husband, wife, or partner
• They separated six months after their wedding.
• She separated from her boyfriend last week.
5 [+ obj] : to see or describe the differences between (two things)
• We need to separate [=distinguish] fact and/from fiction.
6 [+ obj] : to be the quality that makes (people or things) different : differentiate
• Their personalities and political beliefs separate them.
• Our ability to reason is what separates us from animals.
7 [+ obj]
- used to describe how much difference there is in the scores or positions of people or teams in a race, game, etc.
• One goal separated the teams at the beginning of the third period.
• Polls show that the candidates are separated by only a narrow margin as the election approaches.
separate off [phrasal verb] separate (someone or something) off or separate off (someone or something) : to cause (someone or something) to be separate from other people or things
• He separated himself off from the crowd in the subway.
separate out [phrasal verb] separate out (someone or something) or separate (someone or something) out : to remove (someone or something) from a group
• Before you put out the trash, you have to separate out the bottles and cans.
• Most schools separate out children with learning problems.
separate the men from the boys : to show which people are really strong, brave, etc., and which are not
• The competition has been easy to this point, but now it gets tough and we'll really begin to separate the men from the boys.
separate the sheep from the goats or separate the wheat from the chaff chiefly Brit : to judge which people or things in a group are bad and which ones are good
• The magazine describes many different products and then separates the sheep from the goats.
