separate may imply any of several causes such as dispersion, removal of one from others, or presence of an intervening thing.
separated her personal life from her career
part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association.
vowed never to part
divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking.
civil war divided the nation
sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.
a severed limb
sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart.
a city sundered by racial conflict
divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.
cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility
Example Sentences
Noun The entire book is good, but the best part is the ending. I don't remember him saying that. I must have missed that part. The mechanic had to order the part from the manufacturer. The parts of a radio include the speaker, dials, and antenna. Do you have any spare parts for this model of car? the moving parts of the machine parts of the human body My favorite part of the chicken is the drumstick. a diagram labeling the different parts of the flower Come join us and be part of a winning team. Verb The crowd parted to let the president through. The rain stopped and the clouds parted. The big red curtains parted to reveal a new car! The Bible tells the story of how God parted the Red Sea. She closed her eyes and parted her lips. She parts her hair on the side. His dark hair was parted down the middle. The two lovers parted at dawn. Tomorrow we shall part and, I fear, never see each other again. She couldn't bear the thought of parting from her family. Adverb The story is part science and part fiction. The Chimera is a monster in Greek mythology that is part lion, part goat, and part serpent. Adjective The claim is a part truth—there is more to the story than they are telling you. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For the most part, most of us will try our very hardest to stay within the bounds of the guidance that we’re given. Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 16 Sep. 2022 That’s part of a cycle of health inequities, according to Chinedum Ojinnaka, an assistant professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University.AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2022 The tournament, part of the women's Aramco Team Series, has close ties to the Saudi government but is separate from the LIV Golf tour that has poached players from the PGA Tour. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2022 Take a relaxing ride on the Texas Star, the largest Ferris wheel in Texas and a favorite part of the State Fair's skyline. Gabi De La Rosa, Chron, 15 Sep. 2022 By the end of the nineteenth century, Memorial Day parades, celebrations, and commemorations were being held in virtually every part of the nation.Time, 15 Sep. 2022 His experiences at Ana Grace show that part of his expansive game, in and out of football. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2022 Why would the Orioles part with closer Jorge Lopez at the trade deadline? Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022 That’s part of a trend that has seen Mexico’s sporting establishment begin to embrace sports such as figuring skating, ice hockey and stock-car racing, that are nontraditional in that country.Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2022
Verb
By contrast, one of the reasons that Indiana might be willing to part with Myles is a reluctance to offer such a chunk of salary going forward. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2022 Toronto doesn't want to part with Scottie Barnes, that's their stance. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 18 July 2022 Those two could be a dynamic pairing, though the team had to part with Oliver Bjorkstrand to make the money work. Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2022 Akim the canine will never have to part from his best friend again. Amanda Taylor, PEOPLE.com, 14 July 2022 Thirsty visitors need to apply some muscle to a couple of charming but clunky vintage Coca-Cola machines to part with their classic glass bottle drinks, each 100 yen (75 cents).CNN, 7 Aug. 2022 Milly, which would have stood next to Tibi in department stores, hit its stride dressing Michelle Obama, only to part ways with founder Michelle Smith in 2019. Diana Tsui, Harper's BAZAAR, 4 Aug. 2022 Few of his peers gather high-impact prospects like Preller, and few are as willing to part with them.New York Times, 2 Aug. 2022 As the Lakers look at multiple avenues in trying to get rid of their inefficient superstar, there are opportunities available — just none in which in the Lakers are willing to part with a second first-round draft pick. Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 25 July 2022
Adverb
François Girard’s take — part mysterious, part mystifying — on Wagner’s last opera is one of the Met’s most interesting productions of the last decade or so, and returns for the first time since its premiere in 2013. David Allen, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
The supermarket chain hired 185 part-time workers for its Connecticut stores as a result of the job fair. Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, 17 Sep. 2022 Siri Terjesen, associate dean and professor of entrepreneurship at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, said inflation has led to more workers taking second part-time jobs to supplement their full-time employment. David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 17 Sep. 2022 Among the island's part-time residents are the Obamas. David Rutz, Fox News, 16 Sep. 2022 Sansone works part-time as a nurse at Children’s Hospital in Denver, which leaves time to train for longer adventures. Zoë Rom, Outside Online, 14 Sep. 2022 The Florence Sierra store is also currently hiring full- and part-time workers. Emily Deletter, The Enquirer, 8 Sep. 2022 Riordan Roett, who taught at SAIS for 45 years and was head of Latin American studies, doesn’t recall interacting with Montes but notes that the school was a revolving door of full- and part-time students, plus countless adjuncts. Jennifer Conrad, WIRED, 1 Sep. 2022 The community hospital will employ 40 full- and part-time staff. Erik S. Hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2022 Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 32,000 full- and part-time jobs in Arizona and invested more than $16 billion across the state including in fulfillment centers, Whole Foods Market locations and the Phoenix Tech Hub. Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 22 Dec. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French & Old English, both from Latin part-, pars; perhaps akin to Latin parare to prepare — more at pare
Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French partir, from Latin partire to divide, from part-, pars
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)