What does separately mean?
Separately is an adverb meaning in a manner that is apart, individual, or distinct from something else. It is used when people or things act independently, when an issue is treated apart from a larger matter, or when something happens in a distinct way. For example, two departments may prepare reports separately before combining their findings. The word is common in both formal and informal English and carries no strongly positive or negative connotation. Its distinction from similar expressions depends on context: “independently” often emphasizes autonomy, “individually” emphasizes doing something one person at a time, and “distinctly” emphasizes difference or clarity. Separately is also useful for separating one consideration from another, as in “that issue should be addressed separately.” It is derived from the adjective “separate,” which in turn comes through Old French from Latin roots meaning to divide or set apart.
adverbIn a manner that is apart from others or done individually rather than jointly. It can also mean distinctly or independently.
- As apart from one another or individually rather than together.
- In a distinct or independent manner, especially when considering something as a separate issue.
"The two teams trained separately before competing against each other."
"Each department is responsible for managing its own budget separately."
"The matter was considered separately from the wider investigation."
Separately means acting apart, but the word can also suggest that something is being treated as distinct from a larger whole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does separately come from?
“Separately” developed from “separate,” an English word borrowed in the Middle English period from Old French separer. That French word came from Latin separare, formed from se- meaning “apart” and parare, meaning “to prepare” or “arrange.” The same Latin root underlies related English words such as “separation,” “separable,” and “separator.” The adverbial use of “separately” has long expressed the idea of doing something apart from others or treating something as distinct.
How separately is actually used
Separately is neutral in register and is common in formal and informal English. When followed by a noun phrase, it usually means “apart from” or “independently of,” as in “separately from the main discussion.”
Easily confused with separately
Separately is an adverb describing how something is done, while separate is commonly an adjective or verb meaning apart from something else.