distinct indicates that something is distinguished by the mind or eye as being apart or different from others.
two distinct versions
separate often stresses lack of connection or a difference in identity between two things.
separate rooms
discrete strongly emphasizes individuality and lack of connection.
broke the job down into discrete stages
Example Sentences
VerbThough mechanical grain cutters, called reapers, began appearing around 1800, it was with Cyrus H. McCormick's version that agriculture entered the industrial age. Older reapers simply cut and dropped grain; McCormick's cut, separated, and collected it, increasing production and, ultimately, positioning the American Midwest as the breadbasket to the world.Saveur, June/July 2008Xanthan gum, for instance … is used in bottled salad dressing to slow the settling of the spice particles and keep water and oil from separating. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2007The fact is that Washington has relaxed financial regulations under both Democratic and Republican administrations, opening the doors to conflicts of interest between brokers and investment bankers. In 1998, government, despite concerns, refused to separate consulting and auditing business. Jeff Madrick, New York Times Book Review, 29 Jan. 2006On July 11 Brinkley's publicist announced the couple had separated. "She has been extremely concerned about the impact of this situation on her children and felt it was very important to protect them and take them away for a little bit," says one of Brinkley's close friends. "She is totally shocked and just devastated." Ericka Souter et al., People, 31 July 2006 They described the process used to separate cream from milk. A great distance separated the sisters from each other. They walked together to the corner, but then they separated and went their separate ways. The main group separated into several smaller groups. Oil and water separate when combined together. The oil separated from the water. The salt crystals separated out of the liquid. AdjectiveToday, there are an estimated 30,000 teams playing travel ball, which is entirely separate from more long-standing youth organizations like Little League … Sara Corbett, New York Times Sports Magazine, June 2006On my last visit to Lucio, I went with a Spanish TV starlet whose sultry looks helped us land a prime table. Dining at separate tables around us were the Duchess of Badajoz, the king's sister; novelist Mario Vargas Llosa; and a gentleman rumored to be Spain's richest man. Anya von Bremzen, Saveur, November 2006A variation of these reactions is reflected in the American deaf community, which is divided into two groups. One rejects the notion that they are disabled. Rather, they claim, they are a separate culture with its own language. The second group defines its deafness as a disability and is more likely to assimilate into the able-bodied world. Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004 There are separate restrooms for men and women. The boys have separate rooms. They slept in separate beds. We use the same Internet service provider but have separate accounts. That's an entirely separate issue. Noun"Women have a very strong sense of what works for them," says Lyn Devon, the New York designer who sells a nuanced line of silk separates and tailored dresses from her SoHo studio. Jane Herman, Vogue, June 2006See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Pearsall focused on the position’s fine points to separate himself from the pack — and opposing defenders. Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2022 Dig up the bulbs with a garden fork, spread them out, separate any smaller bulbs from the main bulbs, and replant following the directions above. Charlotte Germane, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2022 The machine in question is that high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), which can separate the capsaicinoids from the other components in the pepper and tell you just how many there are in parts per million (PPM). Tamar Haspel, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022 When trains were shorter, a conductor could walk to the crossing to separate both sides and let cars and pedestrians pass. Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Aug. 2022 In the United States, adults tend to separate work and play. Matt Villano, CNN, 19 Aug. 2022 Commenters suggested that Ballard’s install barriers to separate the public beach from the private beach and prevent people from breaking the law by bringing open containers of alcohol onto the public beach. Carlos R. Muñoz, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2022 After the signature is verified, bipartisan two-person teams then have to physically separate the ballots from their envelopes and prepare them for tabulation. Ali Swenson And Josh Kelety, The Arizona Republic, 6 Aug. 2022 This is a really powerful tool to separate those countries and divide their government.CBS News, 6 July 2022
Adjective
The criminal case in the Celadon matter may be over, but a separate case filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to bring a civil enforcement action against Meek and Peavler remains open for the time being. Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Sep. 2022 Her brothers reported her missing to the Gillette Police Department on March 20, and an officer talked to Hightman the same day, according to an affidavit of probable cause in a related separate criminal case against her boyfriend. Faith Karimi, CNN, 4 Sep. 2022 Keep your wildlife separate from your domestic animals. Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2022 Illumina is keeping the Grail business separate from the rest of its business while these legal challenges play out. Peter Loftus, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 In 2018, Spina was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for wire fraud in a separate New Jersey case, Ambrosio wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2022 But the idea of, don't bother the actors and keep them separate, and don't look at them. Karli Bendlin, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2022 To keep the rice grains separate, boil the rice in a large pot of water as for pasta.San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 Raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs should also be kept separate from other foods. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 19 Aug. 2022
Noun
There are other bonuses, but that’s really the main separate between the tiers at the moment. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 13 June 2022 Pineda Pimentel, a 37-year-old military veteran, was previously arrested on Sept. 2 on a separate of rape by force or fear, the Turlock Police Department said. Stephanie Pagones, Fox News, 10 Sep. 2021 The whole theory of the case here for the Tokyo officials is to keep the Tokyo public separate, and the Olympic public in a bubble so that there wouldn't be cross contamination. Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 27 July 2021 Stephanie Goldberger, 29, also managed to leave Peru and return to Portland last week after securing a seat on a charter flight separate from those organized by the State Department. Jamie Goldberg, oregonlive, 30 Mar. 2020 When paired together, black and white separates make for a contemporary-cool spin on formalwear. Megan Ditrolio, Marie Claire, 17 Feb. 2020 Having gained experience in the industry, Givenchy struck out on his own in 1952 with a novel collection of haute separates. Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, 3 Dec. 2018 While a silk summer dress or breezy separates may seem the obvious summer wardrobe choice, Olsen proves that all-black, anti-summer dressing can make a heatwave even more scorching. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 30 July 2019 Channeling the breezy vibes of its caftans and lightweight separates, the label’s debut swimwear was created with a holiday spirit in mind. Nandi Howard, Essence, 8 Jan. 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Verb, Adjective, and Noun
Middle English, from Latin separatus, past participle of separare, from se- apart + parare to prepare, procure — more at secede, pare