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
The case to voters citywide: La Jolla must pay millions to San Diego in separation costs that, along with the city not having to spend money in La Jolla, can help cover the budget gap and improve services elsewhere.
—
Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
The Current will have at least five points of separation atop the league standings depending on the rest of the weekend’s results.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2025
The Defense Department has incentivized volunteers with promises of larger separation payouts.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Americans were also divided over what their separation means for the country, according to the survey, which has a margin of error of 2.1 percentage points.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for separation
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Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025
The Current will have at least five points of separation atop the league standings depending on the rest of the weekend’s results.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2025
The Defense Department has incentivized volunteers with promises of larger separation payouts.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Americans were also divided over what their separation means for the country, according to the survey, which has a margin of error of 2.1 percentage points.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 6 June 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 13 Jun. 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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