separate
gb/sˈɛpɚɪt/ us/sˈɛpɚɪt/
A2
English
~ 2100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
divide into parts
To divide something into two or more parts.
Usage pattern:
to separate [something] into [parts/groups]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'separate' with 'divide' when talking about mathematical division; 'separate' is not used for arithmetic.
Synonyms
divide (A more general term for splitting something into parts, without implying physical or emotional separation.)
Antonyms
combine (Means to bring parts together into a single whole, the opposite of dividing.)
Collocations
separate the clothes
|separate into groups
|separate fact from fiction
|separate the pages
Themes
daily life
|organization
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Please separate the recyclables from the regular trash.
- The teacher separated the students into four groups.
- She separated the egg whites from the yolks for the recipe.
Learner examples
- Separate the apples into two bags.
- Please separate the red and blue shirts.
- We separate paper and plastic for recycling.
Verb
B1
action
2
move apart from
To move away from someone or something, or make them move away from each other.
Usage pattern:
to separate [someone/something] from [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'break up' in romantic contexts; 'separate' can be neutral and not only about relationships.
Synonyms
part (Often used in a more emotional sense when people leave each other.)
Antonyms
join (Means to come together, the opposite of moving apart.)
Collocations
separate from each other
|separated by a wall
|separated at birth
Themes
relationships
|movement
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- The two friends were separated during the chaos.
- The river separates the town from the forest.
- They separated after walking together for a while.
Learner examples
- The road separates the park from the school.
- We separated after lunch.
- A wall separates the kitchen from the living room.
adjective
A2
property
3
not joined; distinct
Not joined to anything else; different or apart.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'separate' with 'special'; 'separate' means apart, not unique in quality.
Synonyms
distinct (Focuses on being clearly different or separate in identity.)
Antonyms
connected (Implies being linked or joined together physically or conceptually.)
Collocations
separate rooms
|separate issue
|kept separate
Themes
description
|organization
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They have separate bedrooms in their apartment.
- This is a separate issue from what we discussed earlier.
- The accounts are kept separate for clarity.
Learner examples
- We sleep in separate beds.
- This is a separate problem.
- They live in separate houses.
Verb
B1
action
4
live apart after relationship ends
When two people in a marriage or relationship stop living together.
Usage pattern:
[someone] separates from [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'separate' with 'divorce'; separation can be temporary and is not always legal divorce.
Synonyms
split up (Informal phrase meaning to end a relationship, often more casual than 'separate'.)
Antonyms
reconcile (Means to repair and resume a relationship after separation.)
Collocations
legally separated
|separated couple
Themes
relationships
|law
Examples
- They separated after ten years of marriage.
- The couple decided to separate but remain friends.
- She separated from her husband last year.
Learner examples
- My parents separated last year.
- They separated but still talk often.
- He separated from his wife in June.
Noun
B2
entity
5
individual clothing item
A piece of clothing sold alone, not with other matching clothes.
Synonyms
garment piece (A more general term for an article of clothing, without implying it is part of a set or not.)
Antonyms
ensemble (A complete outfit designed to be worn together.)
Collocations
mix and match separates
Themes
fashion
|clothing
|daily_life
Examples
- The store offers skirts and blouses as separates.
- These trousers are sold as separates so you can choose your own top.
- She prefers buying separates to mix and match her outfits.
Learner examples
- This skirt is a separate.
- I like to buy separates so I can wear them with many tops.
- These pants are sold as separates.
Grammar
Dictionary form
separate
IPA
GB/sˈɛpɚɪt/
US/sˈɛpɚɪt/
Syllables & stress
sep - ar - ate (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sep)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: separate
Verb
- Base: separate
- 3rd Person Singular: separates
- Present Participle: separating
- Past: separated
Word family
Forms
separates
verb
separating
verb
separated
verb
Core family
separation
noun B1
separately
adverb B1
Related words
separable
adjective
separator
noun
Negative and opposite forms
inseparable
adjective B1
Advanced or less common
separatism
noun
separatist
noun C1
Expressions
separate out
1/sˈɛpɚˌeɪt ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
remove part from group
To take one thing out of a group for a special reason.
Examples
- Separate out the damaged items before packing.
- We need to separate out the most urgent cases first.
separate ways
1/sˈɛpɚɪt wˈeɪz/
fixed phrase
different paths after being together
When two people or groups go in different directions or do different things after being together.
Examples
- After graduation, they went their separate ways.
- We decided to go our separate ways after the project ended.
separate the wheat from the chaff
1/sˈɛpɚˌeɪt ðə wˈit fɹˈʌm ðə t͡ʃˈæf/
idiom
distinguish valuable from worthless
To find what is good or useful and remove what is bad or not useful.
Examples
- This test will separate the wheat from the chaff among the candidates.
- The first round of interviews will separate the wheat from the chaff.
- The review process should help us separate the wheat from the chaff.
- Good reviews help shoppers separate the wheat from the chaff when buying online.
- Over time, experience separates the wheat from the chaff in this industry.