What is another word for separate?

It depends which separate you mean. In the sense “act as a barrier between; stand between”, the synonyms are divide. Across all 19 senses there are 34 distinct synonyms, and they are not interchangeable with each other — this page lists them under the sense each one belongs to.

What is the opposite of separate?

The recorded antonym is joint. Opposites are sense-specific too: this page shows which meaning each one is the opposite of, because a word rarely has a single opposite that holds for all of its senses.

Why are the synonyms for separate split into groups?

Because separate carries 19 recorded senses and each has its own set of substitutes. A single flat list would put words from unrelated meanings side by side with nothing to tell them apart, which is exactly how a writer picks the wrong one. The grouping comes from WordNet's synsets, not from an editorial judgement of ours.

Does this page cover every sense of separate?

It covers the 18 senses that carry a synonym, antonym, broader or narrower term. The remaining 1 sense has none recorded, so it is left off a thesaurus page and shown in full on the word page instead.

Where do the synonyms for separate come from?

From Princeton University's WordNet, a lexical database maintained by lexicographers since 1985. A synonym here means a word form that shares a synset with this word — a set of forms interchangeable in one recorded context. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model.

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Synonyms and antonyms

separate

separate/ˈsɛpɚˌeɪt/

verbadjectivenounCommon

separate has 34 distinct synonyms spread across 15 of its 19 senses. Each sense below keeps its own list, because a synonym belongs to a meaning and not to a word: swapping one sense's substitute into another sense's sentence is how a thesaurus makes writing worse. Its one recorded opposite is joint.

34
Distinct synonyms: 1

Antonym

18 of 19

Senses with a relation

Counts are distinct word forms across every sense. A synonym that appears under three senses is counted once here and shown three times below, under each sense it belongs to.

separate as a verb

13 of 13 senses carry a relation

1.
act as a barrier between; stand between
“The mountain range divides the two countries”
Synonymsdivide
2.
force, take, or pull apart
“He separated the fighting children”
Synonymsdisunite divide part
Related
Broadermove
Narrowercompartmentalize polarize sequester disjoin disjoint disconnect cut tear joint gin
3.
mark as different
“We distinguish several kinds of maple”
Synonymsdistinguish differentiate secern secernate severalize severalise tell tell apart
Related
Broaderidentify
4.
separate into parts or portions
“divide the cake into three equal parts”
Synonymsdivide split split up dissever carve up
Related
Broaderchange integrity
Narrowersubdivide format
5.
divide into components or constituents
“Separate the wheat from the chaff”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Related
Broaderchange integrity
Narrowerdecompose dialyse peptize macerate tease filter extract
6.
arrange or order by classes or categories
“How would you classify these pottery shards--are they prehistoric?”
Synonymsclassify class sort assort sort out
Related
Broadercategorize
Narrowerunitize catalogue
7.
make a division or separation
Synonymsdivide
Related
Narrowerpartition break disperse rail detach shut off
8.
discontinue an association or relation; go different ways
“The business partners broke over a tax question”
Synonymspart split up split break break up
Related
Narrowergive the axe disunify disassociate break with
9.
go one's own way; move apart
“The friends separated after the party”
Synonymspart split
Related
Broadermove
Narrowerdisperse break up diffract
10.
become separated into pieces or fragments
“The figurine broke”
Synonymsbreak split up fall apart come apart
Related
Broaderchange integrity
Narrowerburst puncture smash
11.
treat differently on the basis of sex or race
Synonymsdiscriminate single out
Related
Broaderdistinguish
Narrowerisolate hive off segregate redline disadvantage
12.
come apart
“The two pieces that we had glued separated”
Synonymsdivide part
Related
Broaderchange
Narrowersubdivide polarize calve chip disjoin detach
13.
divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork
“The road forks”
Synonymsbranch ramify fork furcate
Related
Broaderdiverge
Narrowerarborize twig bifurcate trifurcate

separate as an adjective

3 of 4 senses carry a relation

1.
independent; not united or joint
“a problem consisting of two separate issues”
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Antonymsjoint
2.
standing apart; not attached to or supported by anything
“a freestanding bell tower”
Synonymsfreestanding
4.
have the connection undone; having become separate
Synonymsdisjoined

separate as a noun

2 of 2 senses carry a relation

1.
a separately printed article that originally appeared in a larger publication
Synonymsoffprint reprint
Related
Broaderarticle
2.
a garment that can be purchased separately and worn in combinations with other garments
SynonymsNo synonym recorded for this sense.
Related
Broadergarment

1 of the 19 recorded senses carries no synonym, antonym or related term, so it is not shown above. Every sense, with its definition and examples, is on the full entry for separate.

Questions about separate

What is another word for separate?: It depends which separate you mean. In the sense “act as a barrier between; stand between”, the synonyms are divide. Across all 19 senses there are 34 distinct synonyms, and they are not interchangeable with each other — this page lists them under the sense each one belongs to.
What is the opposite of separate?: The recorded antonym is joint. Opposites are sense-specific too: this page shows which meaning each one is the opposite of, because a word rarely has a single opposite that holds for all of its senses.
Why are the synonyms for separate split into groups?: Because separate carries 19 recorded senses and each has its own set of substitutes. A single flat list would put words from unrelated meanings side by side with nothing to tell them apart, which is exactly how a writer picks the wrong one. The grouping comes from WordNet's synsets, not from an editorial judgement of ours.
Does this page cover every sense of separate?: It covers the 18 senses that carry a synonym, antonym, broader or narrower term. The remaining 1 sense has none recorded, so it is left off a thesaurus page and shown in full on the word page instead.
Where do the synonyms for separate come from?: From Princeton University's WordNet, a lexical database maintained by lexicographers since 1985. A synonym here means a word form that shares a synset with this word — a set of forms interchangeable in one recorded context. Nothing on this page is generated by a language model.