separable

[sep-er-uh-buhl, sep-ruh-]

adjective

1. capable of being separated, parted, or dissociated.

2. Mathematics.

   1. containing a countable dense subset.

   2. (of a differential equation) capable of being written so that coefficients of the differentials of the independent and dependent variables are, respectively, functions of these variables alone.

separable

/ ˈsɛprəbəl, ˈsɛpərəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be separated, divided, or parted

Other Word Forms

• separability noun
• separableness noun
• separably adverb
• nonseparability noun
• nonseparable adjective
• nonseparableness noun
• nonseparably adverb
• unseparable adjective
• unseparableness noun
• unseparably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of separable¹

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin sēparābilis, equivalent to sēparā ( re ) to separate + -bilis -ble

Example Sentences

But up until then, the night’s two starting pitchers were hardly separable.

From Los Angeles Times

Addictive medicines typically work in the brain and they have side effects that aren’t really separable from the reduction in pain, because they’re the same thing.

From Seattle Times

At the root of that divide is a fundamental question: Is support for the Jewish State separable from the support of Israel’s democratically elected government?

From New York Times

The tribunal rejected the claim as the firms were in "separable" areas.

From BBC

The definition of food addiction is separable from obesity.

From Scientific American