Other forms: separations
Separation is the pulling apart of things, or a couple living apart. Legal separation, the separation of powers, a trial separation.
The separation of powers is the principle that the people who make, apply and judge the law should be different people, and it is the backbone of most constitutions. A legal separation stops short of divorce and settles the practical arrangements.
1nounpullingThe pulling apart of things.
“The separation of egg whites from the yolks takes a steady hand.”
2nounseparationA couple living apart.
“After years of arguments, the couple agreed on a trial separation.”
separation is a parting.
Latin separatio comes from separare, to pull apart — se-, apart, plus parare, to prepare or make ready.
Latin
separatio
Old French
separacion
Middle English
separacioun
English, today
separation
Attested in the 15th Century; from Middle English separacioun, from Old French separacion, from Latin separatio, separationem. Morphologically separate + ion.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA