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
That model was unlike anything else on the market at the time, with separate amplifier circuits for cleaner separation in each channel, and a vacuum tube preamp stage for analog smoothness and warmth – sort of emulating an audiophile's full system setup.
—
New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
Political prisoners must be released, the political parties allowed to do politics, the electoral authorities must change and there must be separation between powers.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Tied at 41 apiece in the second half, following a second-chance dunk by MU’s Nicholas Randall, the Longhorns went on a 16-6 run to gain some separation.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026
Small tap, small separation and really rotating in place as opposed to jumping and crashing forward.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for separation
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New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
Political prisoners must be released, the political parties allowed to do politics, the electoral authorities must change and there must be separation between powers.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Tied at 41 apiece in the second half, following a second-chance dunk by MU’s Nicholas Randall, the Longhorns went on a 16-6 run to gain some separation.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2026
Small tap, small separation and really rotating in place as opposed to jumping and crashing forward.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for separation
Cite this Entry
“Separation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separation. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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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