separation

American  

[sep-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌsɛp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• nonseparation noun
• preseparation noun
• reseparation noun

Etymology

Origin of separation

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin sēparātiōn- (stem of sēparātiō ), equivalent to sēparāt ( us ) separate + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Around that time, Epstein was helping Nikolic negotiate his separation from Gates’s private office.

From The Wall Street Journal

Honeywell plans to split into two companies, one for automation and one for aerospace, with separation expected by third quarter 2026.

From Barron's

Management has allocated about 300 million ringgit, with a payback period of around 1.9 years to deal with one-off expenses from a voluntary separation scheme, they note.

From The Wall Street Journal

However, early versions of these materials did not perform well as photocatalysts because their internal properties limited effective charge separation.

From Science Daily

First Nations leaders in Alberta, a western Canadian province, have voiced their opposition to the separation movement, and some have filed legal challenges to effort.

From BBC

Related Words

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