1. not together; apart or divided
2. living apart from one’s spouse but not divorced

1. past tense and past participle of separate

Examples

• The twins were separated at birth and raised by different families.
• My parents have been separated for two years but haven’t filed for divorce yet.
• The teacher separated the fighting students.
• We got separated in the crowd and couldn’t find each other.
• The oil and water separated into distinct layers.
• They separated the recyclables from the regular trash.
• The couple separated after ten years of marriage.