verb / adjective
separate
SEP-uh-rayt/ˈseprət/
Being or making things apart from one another.
The two puzzle pieces remain separate.
Etymology
“Apart” combines with a verb meaning “make ready” in Latin separare, “pull apart.” The participial adjective describes the resulting condition: things detached or no longer connected.
In context
a rainstorm. Except you're not a child. You're a grown woman with thoughts, skills, memories, and desires. And the law has decided none of that matters enough to grant you separate legal personhood while married.
More examples
- She separated the papers into groups.
- They have separated the work into stages.
- He is separating the damaged items from the rest.
Forms
separate · separates · separated · separating
separation noun — The state or act of being apart.