separado

Separado is a Spanish adjective and the past participle of the verb separar. It generally denotes something that is divided, detached, or not joined, and it can describe physical objects, spaces, or people who are apart from each other. For example, un objeto separado is an object that has been separated from another, and dos áreas separadas are two distinct areas. The term is also used to describe a person who is not living with or is not legally united to another person.

In civil or personal contexts, separado often refers to a legal status: estar separado means to be legally separated from a spouse, a situation in which a married couple lives apart and maintains certain legal distinctions without yet being divorced. The exact implications of separation can vary by jurisdiction, but the notion generally lies between marriage and divorce, affecting matters such as property rights, finances, and social status.

Etymology and related terms: separado comes from the Latin separatus, the past participle of separare. It has cognates in other Romance languages, such as separato in Italian and séparé in French. Related forms in Spanish include separación (the act or state of separating) and separar (to separate). In usage, opposed terms include junto (together) and unido (united).

See also: separation, apart, distanced.