separation
Americannoun
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an act or instance of separating or the state of being separated.
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a place, line, or point of parting.
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a gap, hole, rent, or the like.
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something that separates or divides.
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Law.
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cessation of conjugal cohabitation, as by mutual consent.
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Aerospace. the time or act of releasing a burned-out stage of a rocket or missile from the remainder.
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Photography. separation negative.
noun
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the act of separating or state of being separated
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the place or line where a separation is made
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a gap that separates
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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
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the act of jettisoning a burnt-out stage of a multistage rocket
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the instant at which such a stage is jettisoned
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of separation
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin sēparātiōn- (stem of sēparātiō ), equivalent to sēparāt ( us ) separate + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
When two things that were together come apart, it's a separation, whether they're the two halves of your Oreo or a married couple splitting up. If you leave your beloved cat to go to college, it's a separation — the two of you are parting ways, at least for a little while. The root is the Latin word separare, which means "to pull apart." A separation from someone you care about can be hard, but the trickiest thing about separation is remembering how to spell it. One common trick is to keep in mind that there's "a rat" in the middle of the word.
Vocabulary lists containing separation
Blasted to Smithereens: Synonyms for "Break"
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se (apart)
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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.
The U.S.-proposed route goes through Oman’s territorial waters and is located south of the Traffic Separation Scheme.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
Rachel Laser, president and chief executive of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, applauded Barker’s ruling.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
In the most recent episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick unpacks how Christian nationalism made its way into the U.S. government with Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026
Separation of the launcher and the satellite was due to take place 33 minutes and 51 seconds after lift-off.
From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025
Or that he once found an index card in Byrd’s potting shed that said Terms of Separation, like it was some kind of legal document George or Emmett once worked on when they were lawyers.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
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.
