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separate

/ˈsepəreɪt//ˈsepəreɪt/·verb, adjective
to move or keep apart; (adjective) existing as distinct, unconnected
Fig. 1 — I watch two magnets clamped together, the pull between their poles drawn as taut little arcs.
01Definition

To separate is to move things apart or to keep them apart — you separate two fighters, separate the yolk from the white, separate a class into groups. From the Latin separare, 'to disjoin'. Where you divide a whole into parts, to separate more often pulls already-distinct things away from each other, or sorts a mixture. As an adjective — and pronounced differently — separate means distinct or unconnected: three separate rooms, a separate issue. It is the quiet opposite of join.

02In use
  • iA low fence separates the two gardens without blocking the view.
  • iiReferees rushed in to separate the players before it turned into a brawl.
  • iiiSeparate the eggs, then whisk the whites until they stiffen.
03Collocations
  • separate from
  • separate into
  • keep separate
  • go separate ways
  • separate out

Family separation (noun) · separate (adjective) · separately (adverb)

04Relations

=divide, split, part, disconnect, sort

≠join, unite, combine, merge

05Compared
PairThe difference
separate vs amalgamateseveral organizations merged into one → amalgamate; things moved apart or kept distinct → separate.
separate vs blendmix things into one seamless whole where the parts vanish → blend; move things apart or keep them distinct → separate.
separate vs coalesceseparate things grow together into one whole → coalesce; move things apart or keep them distinct → separate.
separate vs coincidetwo independent things share the same point or time → coincide; move things apart, or keep them distinct → separate.
separate vs combineseparate things brought together into one set → combine; things moved or held apart, staying distinct → separate.

Also compared with concentrate, consolidate, converge, disband, disperse, dissipate, dissolve, diverge, divide, fuse, integrate, intersect, join, meet, merge, radiate, scatter, split, unite

06TOEFL & IELTS

Two facts save marks. First, spelling: it is sep-A-rate, with an 'a' in the middle — never 'seperate', one of the most-mistyped words in English. Second, it is a heteronym: the verb is /ˈsepəreɪt/ (three clear syllables), the adjective /ˈseprət/ (two, the middle swallowed). Mind the prepositions too — separate X from Y (keep apart) versus separate into (sort a mixture into subsets).

07Asked
How do you spell 'separate' — separate or seperate?
Separate, with an 'a' in the middle — 'seperate' is not a word, only a very common misspelling. The vowels run e-a-r-a-t-e, so the tricky third letter is an a, not an e. A memory hook: picture the two magnets in the scene above being pulled a-part — that stressed 'a' sound sits right in the middle of the word.
How do you pronounce separate?
It depends on the part of speech — separate is a heteronym. The verb (to move apart) is SEP-uh-rate /ˈsepəreɪt/, three clear syllables ending in a full 'rate'. The adjective (distinct) is SEP-rit /ˈseprət/, two syllables with the middle swallowed. So you sep-uh-RATE the eggs, but you have three SEP-rit rooms.
Is it 'separate from' or 'separate into'?
Both, for different jobs. Separate X from Y means keep them apart or disconnect them — separate work from home life, separate fact from opinion. Separate into means sort a whole or a mixture into subsets — separate the class into four teams, separate into piles. From marks a divide; into marks a sorting.
What is the difference between separate and divide?
Divide takes one whole and splits it into parts, often equal ones (divide the cake into six). Separate more often pulls apart things that are already distinct, or sorts a mixture — separating the fighters, separating the recycling. Roughly: you divide a single thing; you separate several things from each other.
What does 'go their separate ways' mean?
To part company — to head in different directions, or, figuratively, to end a partnership or relationship. 'After college the friends went their separate ways.' It uses the adjective separate (/ˈseprət/, two syllables), and it is gentler and more neutral than 'split up'.
What is the difference between separate and split?
Split is more forceful and often more final — 'split up' is the blunt word for a breakup, and it suggests one thing breaking along a line. Separate is more neutral and often reversible: a separated couple may reconcile, and you can separate things simply to sort them, with no sense of a violent break.