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

Hence the separation of church and state, a three-branch government and a president with a limited term.

From Los Angeles Times

“The proposed settlement agreement to exempt only houses of worship and not secular nonprofits would have been unfair and a violation of church-state separation,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company, for example, called the separation of the roles of broker, exchange, and custodian into different firms a “a legacy of a paper-based system” unnecessary in the tokenized universe.

From Barron's

Cahillane, who was tasked with executing the separation, had a message for Abel: Shareholder returns were a priority.

From The Wall Street Journal

The FAA is investigating the incident, including whether “a new measure to suspend the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters was applied,” the agency spokesperson wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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