a. The act or process of moving apart or forcing something apart: the separation of continents from a single landmass; the separation of railroad cars from a train.

b. The condition of being apart, especially the condition of two people who had lived together or been married living in different places.

c. An interval or space that separates; a gap: The separation between the lead runner and the pack was getting longer.

a. The process of sorting or distinguishing into different components, groups, or categories: the gradual separation of the sciences into physical and biological.

b. The condition of being so sorted or distinguished: the unquestioned separation of labor by gender.

a. The voluntary cessation by spouses of cohabitation and other marital relations.

b. A formal legal severing of the relations between spouses that does not dissolve the marriage as in divorce.

c. In some jurisdictions, divorce.