separate
SEHP-uh-rayt
Separate (verb) means to divide something into parts, or to keep things or people apart from each other. Example: “Please separate the whites from the colours before you put the washing on.”
verb
1
To divide something into parts, or to keep things or people apart from each other.
"Please separate the whites from the colours before you put the washing on."
"Separate the eggs before you start baking."
"The referee stepped in to separate the two players."
adj
1
Not connected to or joined with something else; distinct.
"The twins sleep in separate bedrooms now that they are older."
"That is a separate issue, so let's deal with it another day."
"Keep your work and personal emails in separate accounts."
How to use separate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo divide or split apart, or (as an adjective) distinct and not joined together.
Common mistake
Frequently misspelled as "seperate" — remember it has "par" in the middle, from the Latin parare.
Common pairings
separate from
go their separate ways
keep separate
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like separate.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- separates
- Third person singular
- separates
- Past tense
- separated
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Please _____ the whites from the colours before you put the washing on.
Etymology
From Latin separatus, past participle of separo, "to separate," from se- ("apart") + paro ("prepare").
Synonyms
View more →
divide
split
disconnect
detach
part
isolate
sort out
set apart
disjoined
freestanding
detached
discrete
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for separate
See all rhymes for separate →Frequently asked questions
What does “separate” mean?
The word “separate” means to divide something into parts, or to keep things or people apart from each other. In plain terms, to divide or split apart, or (as an adjective) distinct and not joined together.
How do you pronounce “separate”?
“Separate” is pronounced SEHP-uh-rayt (/ˈsɛp.əˌɹeɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “separate” in a sentence?
Here is “separate” used in a sentence: “Separate the eggs before you start baking.”
What is another word for “separate”?
Words with a similar meaning to “separate” include detached, discrete, distinct, disparate, loose and sundry.
What is the opposite of “separate”?
The opposite of “separate” — its antonyms — are annex, combine, coherent, conjunct and indistinct.
What part of speech is “separate”?
Depending on how it is used, “separate” can be a verb and an adjective.
Where does the word “separate” come from?
The word “separate” comes from Latin. From Latin separatus, past participle of separo, "to separate," from se- ("apart") + paro ("prepare").
Is “separate” a common word?
“Separate” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between separate and divide?
To separate means to keep or set things apart so they no longer touch or mix, without necessarily splitting one thing up. To divide means to break a single whole into parts, often into shares. You separate two arguing children; you divide a cake. There is overlap, but divide stresses partition while separate stresses keeping apart.
Is it spelled 'separate' or 'seperate'?
Separate is the correct spelling, with an 'a' in the middle — sep-a-rate. 'Seperate' is one of the most common misspellings in English. A useful memory trick is that there is 'a rat' hidden in sep-a-rat-e. The same middle 'a' appears in the noun separation and the adverb separately.
What is the opposite of separate?
The main opposites are join, combine, unite, connect, and merge. Where separate means to divide or keep apart, these describe bringing things together into one. For people, the opposite of separating is reuniting or reconciling. The right antonym depends on context — you rejoin what was split and reconnect what was disconnected.
What is an example of separating something?
Everyday examples include sorting laundry into whites and colours, splitting a class into small groups, or pulling apart two pieces of stuck paper. In cooking you separate an egg white from the yolk. In relationships, a couple may separate by living apart. Each case shares the core idea of keeping things apart.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include separate:
