apart

[uh-pahrt]

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?

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.

apart

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• apartness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of apart¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of apart¹

C14: from Old French a part at (the) side

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

   Apart from other considerations, time is a factor.

More idioms and phrases containing apart

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

Example Sentences

"We came and found children and women torn apart. It was a pitiful sight," he said.

From BBC

But before the enhanced human can blow apart his enemy’s operating system, however, another alien escapes its tank.

From Salon

He relives the period of his boyhood when his abuela was there to greet him after school and impart to him the cultural heritage he was living apart from.

From Los Angeles Times

They reconvened in New York and cut two more songs – Dodo and Can You Hear Me – but, by Lulu's account, Bowie was "getting lost in drugs" and their plans fell apart.

From BBC

“It really didn’t sell anything at all … We played a few concerts, and then the band fell apart.”

From Los Angeles Times