separate definition

1. a garment that can be purchased separately and worn in combinations with other garments
2. act as a barrier between; stand between
• examples: The mountain range divides the two countries
3. force, take, or pull apart
• examples: He separated the fighting children
• examples: Moses parted the Red Sea
4. divide into components or constituents
• examples: Separate the wheat from the chaff
5. make a division or separation
6. discontinue an association or relation; go different ways
• examples: The business partners broke over a tax question
• examples: The couple separated after 25 years of marriage
• examples: My friend and I split up
7. go one's own way; move apart
• examples: The friends separated after the party
8. come apart
• examples: The two pieces that we had glued separated
9. independent; not united or joint
• examples: a problem consisting of two separate issues
• examples: they went their separate ways
• examples: formed a separate church
10. separated according to race, sex, class, or religion
• examples: separate but equal
• examples: girls and boys in separate classes