separation
noun
sep·a·ra·tion
ˌse-pə-ˈrā-shən 
1
: the act or process of separating : the state of being separated
2
a
: a point, line, or means of division
b
: an intervening space : gap
the separation between wheel spokes
3
a
: cessation of cohabitation between a married couple by mutual agreement or judicial decree
b
: termination of a contractual relationship (such as employment or military service)
Examples of separation in a Sentence
After a separation of 30 years, she visited her family in Cuba.
Moving away meant separation from his family.
Recent Examples on the Web
On the track, Rae sings about escaping into music to get away from life’s troubles, including her parents’ separation.
—
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
Creating modular architectures through the adoption of microservices or containers facilitates the separation of functionalities into independent components, each with its own life cycle.
—Manuel Sanchez, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
The couple ultimately announced their separation in September 2017, and finalized their divorce in November 2019.
—Francesca Gariano, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
In May 2024, Gutiérrez confirmed their separation in a interview.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for separation
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Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
Creating modular architectures through the adoption of microservices or containers facilitates the separation of functionalities into independent components, each with its own life cycle.
—Manuel Sanchez, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
The couple ultimately announced their separation in September 2017, and finalized their divorce in November 2019.
—Francesca Gariano, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
In May 2024, Gutiérrez confirmed their separation in a interview.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for separation
Cite this Entry
“Separation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separation. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
separation
noun
sep·a·ra·tion
ˌsep-ə-ˈrā-shən
1
: the act or process of separating : the state of being separated
2
a
: a point or line of division
b
: a space that comes between things : gap
the separation between wheel spokes
3
a
: a formal separating of spouses by agreement but without divorce
b
: the ending of a relationship that is bound by a contract (as employment or military service)
Medical Definition
separation
noun
sep·a·ra·tion
ˌsep-ə-ˈrā-shən
1
: the process of isolating or extracting from or of becoming isolated from a mixture
also
: the resulting state
2
Legal Definition
separation
noun
sep·a·ra·tion
ˌse-pə-ˈrā-shən
1
: cessation of cohabitation between a married couple by mutual agreement with intent that it be permanent
also
: legal separation compare divorce
Note: In some cases in which the estrangement is extreme, a separation is considered to have occurred even when the couple retain the same residence if they have stopped communicating and engaging in sexual relations and intend to be separated.
2
: termination of a contractual relationship (as employment or military service)
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