Separate Meaning and Definition

Pronunciation

/səˈpærət/ 🔊

Part of Speech

Adjective or Noun

Definition

A separate unit or item is one that is distinct, individual, or independent from others, often with its own unique characteristics or functions.

Examples

1. “The company’s separate department handles international sales and marketing.”

2. “She kept her separate bank account for her emergency fund.”

Synonyms

1. Distinct

2. Individual

3. Independent

Antonyms

1. Unified

2. Combined

3. Merged

Etymology

The word “separate” comes from the Old French “separer,” which is derived from the Latin “separare,” meaning “to divide or separate.” Over time, the meaning of the word has expanded to encompass various contexts, including physical, emotional, and conceptual separation.

Usage Notes

Use “separate” to describe something that is distinct or individual, such as a separate room or a separate account. In contrast, use “distinct” to emphasize the uniqueness or difference between two or more things.

When using “separate” as a noun, it refers to a distinct or individual unit, such as a separate entity or a separate part of a whole.

Cultural References

In popular culture, the idea of being “separate” is often explored in science fiction, particularly in the Star Trek franchise, where characters may inhabit separate dimensions or timelines.

The concept of “separate” is also explored in literature, such as in the book “The separation” by Ann Weisgarber.

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

Some common idiomatic expressions that include the word “separate” are:

1. “Separate the wheat from the chaff” (to distinguish between what is valuable and what is worthless)

2. “Separate the signal from the noise” (to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information)

Related Words or Phrases

Some words or phrases closely related to “separate” include:

1. Distinct

2. Individual

3. Independent

4. Separate entity

Collocations

Some common collocations of the word “separate” include:

1. Separate account

2. Separate department

3. Separate entity

4. Separate section

Frequency of Use

The word “separate” is commonly used in modern language, particularly in business, finance, and everyday conversation.

According to corpus data, the word “separate” appears in about 1.5% of all written texts.

Common Misspellings

Some common misspellings of the word “separate” include:

1. Separite

2. Seperate

3. Seperate