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separation

American  
[sep-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌsɛp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. an act or instance of separating or the state of being separated.

  2. a place, line, or point of parting.

  3. a gap, hole, rent, or the like.

  4. something that separates or divides.

  5. Law.

    1. cessation of conjugal cohabitation, as by mutual consent.

    2. judicial separation.

  6. Aerospace. the time or act of releasing a burned-out stage of a rocket or missile from the remainder.

  7. Photography. separation negative.

separation British  
/ ˌsɛpəˈreɪʃən /

noun

  1. the act of separating or state of being separated

  2. the place or line where a separation is made

  3. a gap that separates

  4. family law the cessation of cohabitation between a man and wife, either by mutual agreement or under a decree of a court Compare judicial separation divorce

    1. the act of jettisoning a burnt-out stage of a multistage rocket

    2. the instant at which such a stage is jettisoned

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonseparation noun
  • preseparation noun
  • reseparation noun

Etymology

Origin of separation

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin sēparātiōn- (stem of sēparātiō ), equivalent to sēparāt ( us ) separate + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“You can only be one degree of separation from how you’re living your life,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

In practice, that looks like a race toward a separation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The company, for example, called the separation of the roles of broker, exchange, and custodian into different firms a “a legacy of a paper-based system” unnecessary in the tokenized universe.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Dundon’s 2015 departure from Santander Consumer came with a separation agreement of more than $700 million, including cash for stock he owned, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

To Ernest, this detritus of U-235 separation and plutonium manufacture was untapped treasure; only neutrons were needed to unlock its value.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.