Separate
/ˈsɛpərət/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo divide or keep apart; to disunite; to sever.
/ˈsɛpəreɪt/
To set or keep apart
Please separate the recycling from the trash.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a box of toys, and you want to put the cars in one place and the dolls in another. Separating is like making sure everything is in its own special spot!
👶 For kids: To keep things apart.
More Examples
The teacher separated the students into groups.
We need to separate fact from fiction.
How It's Used
"Separate the eggs into yolks and whites."
"The couple decided to separate after many years of marriage."
"Scientists use filters to separate solids from liquids."
Forming or viewed as a unit apart or by itself.
/ˈsɛpərət/
Not joined or connected; individual.
Each house had a separate garden.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're eating a pizza. If you want to take a slice, that slice is separate from the rest of the pizza. It’s its own thing!
👶 For kids: Not together.
More Examples
The teacher gave us separate assignments.
She used separate containers for different types of food.
How It's Used
"Each person has a separate room in the house."
"The company's assets are kept in a separate account."
"They are living separate lives, though still married."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
separate the wheat from the chaff
To distinguish the valuable or genuine from the worthless or fake.
"The interview process helped us separate the wheat from the chaff and find the best candidates."
separate ways
To depart from each other.
"After graduation, the friends decided to go their separate ways."
From Latin *sēparātus*, past participle of *sēparāre* 'to disjoin, divide', from *sē-* 'apart' + *parāre* 'to make ready'.
The word 'separate' has been used since the 16th century, evolving from its Latin roots to denote division and distinction.
Memory tip
Think of a divider separating two areas.
Word Origin
"to disjoin, divide"