to keep apart or divide, as by an intervening barrier or space

to separate two fields by a fence.

to put, bring, or force apart; part

to separate two fighting boys.

to set apart; disconnect; dissociate

to separate church and state.

to remove or sever from association, service, etc., esp. legally or formally

He was separated from the army right after V-E Day.

to sort, part, divide, or disperse (an assemblage, mass, compound, etc.), as into individual units, components, or elements.

to take by parting or dividing; extract (usually fol. by from or out )

to separate metal from ore.

Mathematics . to write (the variables of a differential equation) in a form in which the differentials of the independent and dependent variables are, respectively, functions of these variables alone

We can separate the variables to solve the equation. Compare separation of variables

to part company; withdraw from personal association (often fol. by from )

to separate from a church.

(of a married pair) to stop living together but without getting a divorce.

to draw or come apart; become divided, disconnected, or detached.

to become parted from a mass or compound

Cream separates from milk.

to take or go in different directions

We have to separate at the crossroad.

detached, disconnected, or disjoined.

unconnected; distinct; unique

two separate questions.

being or standing apart; distant or dispersed

two separate houses; The desert has widely separate oases.

existing or maintained independently

separate organizations.

individual or particular

each separate item.

not shared; individual or private

separate checks; separate rooms.

( sometimes initial capital letter ) noting or pertaining to a church or other organization no longer associated with the original or parent organization.

Usually, separates. women's outer garments that may be worn in combination with a variety of others to make different ensembles, as matching and contrasting blouses, skirts, and sweaters.

offprint ( def. 1 ) .

a bibliographical unit, as an article, chapter, or other portion of a larger work, printed from the same type but issued separately, sometimes with additional pages.