apart

American  

[uh-pahrt] / əˈpɑrt /

adverb

1. into pieces or parts; to pieces.

   to take a watch apart; an old barn falling apart from decay.

2. separately in place, time, motion, etc..

   New York and Tokyo are thousands of miles apart. Our birthdays are three days apart.

3. to or at one side, with respect to place, purpose, or function.

   to put money apart for education; to keep apart from the group out of pride.

4. separately or individually in consideration.

   each factor viewed apart from the others.

5. aside (used with a gerund or noun).

   Joking apart, what do you think?

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adjective

1. having independent or unique qualities, features, or characteristics; separate (usually used following the noun it modifies).

   a class apart.

verb phrase

1. take apart

   1. to disassemble.

      to take a clock apart.

   2. Informal. to criticize; attack.

      She was taken apart for her controversial stand.

   3. to subject to intense examination.

      He will take your feeble excuses apart.

idioms

1. apart from, aside from; in addition to.

   Apart from other considerations, time is a factor.

apart British  

/ əˈpɑːt /

adjective

1. to pieces or in pieces

   he had the television apart on the floor

2. placed or kept separately or to one side for a particular purpose, reason, etc; aside (esp in the phrases set or put apart )

3. separate in time, place, or position; at a distance

   he stood apart from the group

   two points three feet apart

4. not being taken into account; aside

   these difficulties apart, the project ran smoothly

5. individual; distinct; separate

   a race apart

6. separately or independently in use, thought, or function

   considered apart, his reasoning was faulty

7. (preposition) besides; other than

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apart More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing apart

• come apart
• fall apart
• pick apart
• poles apart
• set apart
• take apart
• tear apart
• tell apart

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Other Word Forms

• apartness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of apart

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French a part “to one side”; see a- ⁵, part

Explanation

When things are apart, they are separated, often because they're far away from each other. If you are in Hawaii for the summer and your best friend is in Maine, you are apart. You can say that San Diego and San Francisco are about 500 miles apart, or that you hate spending time apart from your cat when you travel. Sometimes people are figuratively apart, when they've ended their relationship. You can also use apart to mean "in pieces," as when a firecracker blows apart an apple. The word comes from the Old French à part, "to the side," from the Latin roots ad "to," and partem, "a side."

Example Sentences

In January 2022, the landfast sea ice in the embayment suddenly broke apart, likely due to powerful ocean swells that destabilized the region.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

Reality TV had moved on from spoiled 20-somethings tearing each other apart to new ventures such as “90 Day Fiancé” and “Dance Moms.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Pakistan has been playing the role of mediator between the US and Iran, but both sides still appear to be far apart.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

The day after Spirit folded, Terminal A sat largely empty, apart from a small group of airport workers redirecting passengers whose flights were canceled.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

This was our first Christmas apart, and for all of us, our first without Togbe.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo