separate
[verb]
Synonyms:
- divide, come apart, come away, detach, disconnect, disjoin, remove, sever, split, sunder
- part, break up, disunite, diverge, divorce, estrange, part company, split up
- isolate, segregate, single out
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- unconnected, detached, disconnected, divided, divorced, isolated, unattached
- individual, alone, apart, distinct, particular, single, solitary

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Antonyms: combine
Contrasted words: assemble, associate, blend, mingle, mix, connect, couple, join, link, unify, unite, agglutinate, bind, cement, fuse, weld
Related Words: alienate, discontinue, disunify, estrange, dislink, uncouple, unjoin, unlink, disaggregate, disassemble, disgregate, dispel, disperse, dissolve, scatter, detach, disengage, disrelate, dissociate, halve, quarter, compartment, compartmentalize, distinctive, peculiar, detached, disconnected, disengaged, free, independent

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English Thesaurus: divorce, separate, split up/break up, leave somebody, divide, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. sep‧a‧rate¹ S2 W2 /ˈsepərət, ˈsepərɪt/ adjective [no comparative]
[Word Family: noun: separation, separates, separatist, separatism, separator, inseperability; adjective: separable ≠ inseparable, separate, separated; adverb: inseparably, separately; verb: separate]

1. different:
Use separate knives for raw and cooked meat.
My wife and I have separate bank accounts.

2. not related to or not affected by something else:
That’s a separate issue.
He was attacked on two separate occasions.
separate from
He tries to keep his professional life completely separate from his private life.

3. not joined to or touching something else:
The gym and the sauna are in separate buildings.
separate from
Keep the fish separate from the other food.

4. go your separate ways
a) if people go their separate ways, they stop being friends or lovers
b) if people who have been travelling together go their separate ways, they start travelling in different directions
—separately adverb:
They did arrive together, but I think they left separately.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. sep‧a‧rate² S2 W2 /ˈsepəreɪt/ 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

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

separate
adj.
VERBS be | become | remain | keep sb/sth The women are kept separate from the men.
consider sth
ADV. very, widely I kept my two lives very separate. species from widely separate parts of the world
absolutely, completely, entirely, quite, totally, wholly The waste water is kept entirely separate from the rainwater.
largely | rather, relatively, somewhat | essentially The two groups are essentially separate and independent.
apparently | hitherto, previously to merge the two previously separate businesses
geographically, physically
PREP. from a lifestyle which is quite separate from that of her parents

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

separate
verb
I. move/keep people/things apart
ADV. completely, totally | carefully | clearly These two branches of the science have now become clearly separated.
effectively | easily, readily One cannot easily separate moral, social and political issues.
formally | legally | physically, spatially | out A magnet separates out scrap iron from the rubbish.
VERB + SEPARATE attempt to, try to | be difficult to, be hard to, be impossible to It was impossible to separate the rival fans.
PREP. from separating the boys from the girls
into I separated the documents into two piles.
PHRASES sharply separated The disciplines of science and engineering are not always sharply separated.
widely separated The two groups became widely separated.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

separate
II. stop living together
ADV. legally
VERB + SEPARATE decide to
PREP. from She is separated from her husband.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

separate
verb
DUBIOUS: Americans can be separated into a number of ethnic groups.
GOOD: Americans can be divided into a number of ethnic groups.
DUBIOUS: England was separated into 650 constituencies.
GOOD: England was divided into 650 constituencies.

Usage Note:
separate = place or keep (people or things) apart from one another: 'Break an egg into a bowl and separate the white from the yolk.'
divide = cause something to consist of (or be seen as) a number of parts, groups, sections etc: 'The manufacturing process is divided into three stages.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

divorce to legally end your marriage:
After seven years, they decided to divorce.
She divorced him six months after they were married.
separate to start to live apart from your husband or wife because of problems in your marriage:
They argued all the time and in the end agreed to separate.
She separated from her husband and moved to a flat in London.
split up/break up to end a marriage or a romantic relationship:
When Andy was nine, his parents split up.
He's just broken up with his girlfriend.
leave somebody to stop living with your husband, wife, or partner, often because you are having a relationship with someone else:
Her husband left her for a younger woman after 27 years of marriage.
Dan's left me.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

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.
break up phrasal verb [intransitive] to separate into several smaller parts:
In spring, the icebergs begin to break up.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲