separation of powers

American  

[sep-uh-rey-shuhn uhv pou-erz] / ˈsɛp əˌreɪ ʃən əv ˈpaʊ ərz /

noun

1. the principle or system of vesting in separate branches the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of a government.

---

separation of powers Cultural  

1. A fundamental principle of the United States government, whereby powers and responsibilities are divided among the legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch. The officials of each branch are selected by different procedures and serve different terms of office; each branch may choose to block action of the other branches through the system of checks and balances. The framers of the Constitution designed this system to ensure that no one branch would accumulate too much power and that issues of public policy and welfare would be given comprehensive consideration before any action was taken.

---

Compare meaning

How does separation-of-powers compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• separation of powers vs. checks and balances

Example Sentences

The court’s decision strengthens the separation of powers.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

The separation of powers is explicitly enshrined in North Carolina’s constitution, which declares, “The legislative, executive, and supreme judicial powers of the State government shall be forever separate and distinct from each other.”

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

But they also played out at the highest level of questions about separation of powers and delegation.

From Slate • Nov. 10, 2025

The most dramatic part of the hearing was a 10-minute period in which Justice Neil Gorsuch aggressively grilled Sauer about the Constitution’s separation of powers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

There were no political parties, no popular organs of government, no separation of powers; only the emperor, who was supreme.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela