separate
separate Lexical Profile
separate Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Forming or viewed as a unit apart or by itself; not joined, connected, or combined with others.
"The two departments maintain separate budgets to track their expenses accurately."
Clearly distinguishable or different from others; individual or distinct.
"That issue raises a completely separate question that we will address at tomorrow's meeting."
• verb
To cause to move or be apart, or to divide into constituent or distinct elements.
"Please separate the recyclable glass bottles from the paper waste."
To form a boundary, barrier, or intervening space between two areas, groups, or things.
"The English Channel separates southern England from northern France."
To cease living together as a married or romantic couple.
"After years of trying to reconcile their differences, they decided to separate."
To distinguish between or set apart as superior or distinct.
"Consistent preparation is what separates championship teams from their competitors."
• noun
Individual articles of outer clothing, such as skirts, trousers, blouses, and jackets, designed to be worn in various combinations with one another (usually used in the plural).
"Buying versatile separates allows you to create several professional outfits from just a few garments."
A standalone copy of an article, chapter, or paper reprinted independently from a larger publication or academic journal.
"The author ordered fifty separates of her journal article to distribute to colleagues at the symposium."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Separate" is a heteronym: as a verb, the final syllable rhymes with "rate", whereas as an adjective or noun, the final vowel is reduced to a schwa. It is also one of the most frequently misspelled words in English (often erroneously written as "seperate").
• Rhymes for separate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 15th century from Latin separatus, the past participle of separare ("to pull apart" or "to divide"), formed from the prefix se- ("apart") and parare ("to make ready" or "to prepare").