separation

American  

[sep-uh-ray-shuhn] / ˌsɛp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• separations
  plural

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

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

   2. the instant at which such a stage is jettisoned

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonseparation
  noun
• preseparation
  noun
• reseparation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• separations
  plural

---

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

separation separations

One major hurdle lies in the economical separation of materials, isolating, grinding up and converting rare earth elements into metal for next-generation magnets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

In Federalist No. 51, James Madison argued that maintaining the balance established by the separation of powers depended on the ambitions of public officials coming into conflict.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

Last week, two-time major winner Rahm gave up a reported £75m owed to him by LIV after reaching a separation agreement.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Hila shared that she does not know what comes next, adding, “I’m in survival mode, trying to navigate separation, co-parenting, and unthinkable heartbreak.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

The four months in Scheveningen had been our first separation in fifty-three years; it seemed to me that I could bear whatever happened with Betsie beside me.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

There's only one drawback: "long separations from the family during assignments," he says from Kosovo, where he is helping install a wind farm.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

And just a few weeks ago, civil rights lawyers joined with parents’ and children’s advocates to bring landmark class-action litigation to end illegal family separations.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

The membranes could also benefit pharmaceutical production, where highly accurate separations are critical for product quality and manufacturing efficiency.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

Current and former officials from the Department of Homeland Security said such separations are not necessarily a violation of policy.

From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026

Though many mothers expect the separations to be short, typically they last six to eight years, says Analuisa Espinoza, a Los Angeles Unified School District social worker who specializes in immigrants.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• departure
• disengagement
• dissolution
• divorce
• estrangement
• partition
• segregation
• split

---