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Added 6 October 2026

separate

/ˈsɛp.əˌɹeɪt/ verb

In Latin: dīvidō, sēiungō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about separate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To divide (a thing) into separate parts.
Separate the articles from the headings.
To disunite from a group or mass; to disconnect.
To cause (things or people) to be separate.
If the kids get too noisy, separate them for a few minutes.

Origin

From Middle English separaten (“to separate”), from separat (“separated”) + -en, from Latin sēparātus, perfect passive participle of sēparō (“to separate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from sē- (“apart”) + parō (“prepare”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“produce, procure, bring forward, bring forth”). Displaced Middle English scheden, from Old English scēadan (whence English shed). Doublet of sever, also derived from the same Latin verb.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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