Was it correct when I say a couple is "separated" when they're not yet married?

blueeyed grl

According to the dictionary definition...I think it is ok to use the word separated.

sepâ‹…aâ‹…rateâ€‚
â€“verb (used with object) 1. to keep apart or divide, as by an intervening barrier or space: to separate two fields by a fence.
2. to put, bring, or force apart; part: to separate two fighting boys.
3. to set apart; disconnect; dissociate: to separate church and state.
4. to remove or sever from association, service, etc., esp. legally or formally: He was separated from the army right after V-E Day.
5. to sort, part, divide, or disperse (an assemblage, mass, compound, etc.), as into individual units, components, or elements.
6. to take by parting or dividing; extract (usually fol. by from or out): to separate metal from ore.
7. Mathematics. to write (the variables of a differential equation) in a form in which the differentials of the independent and dependent variables are, respectively, functions of these variables alone: We can separate the variables to solve the equation. Compare separation of variables.

â€“verb (used without object) 8. to part company; withdraw from personal association (often fol. by from): to separate from a church.
9. (of a married pair) to stop living together but without getting a divorce.
10. to draw or come apart; become divided, disconnected, or detached.
11. to become parted from a mass or compound: Cream separates from milk.
12. to take or go in different directions: We have to separate at the crossroad.

â€“adjective 13. detached, disconnected, or disjoined.
14. unconnected; distinct; unique: two separate questions.
15. being or standing apart; distant or dispersed: two separate houses; The desert has widely separate oases.
16. existing or maintained independently: separate organizations.
17. individual or particular: each separate item.
18. not shared; individual or private: separate checks; separate rooms.
19. (sometimes initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a church or other organization no longer associated with the original or parent organization.

â€“noun 20. Usually, separates. women's outer garments that may be worn in combination with a variety of others to make different ensembles, as matching and contrasting blouses, skirts, and sweaters.
21. offprint (def. 1).
22. a bibliographical unit, as an article, chapter, or other portion of a larger work, printed from the same type but issued separately, sometimes with additional pages.

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ablex

They were together and they have separated.
Of course it's correct. It doesn't matter the legal, marital status.
Even eggs are separated. It simply means something that is apart from something else.

â™ Jenn â™

I think you were correct in saying that...I would have said the same thing.

free_angel

Oh hell just say they split and you have 20 bucks that says they won't get back together.

Marisa

no thats not correct
there over (:

Erika

You probably meant they are not together anymore. I sincerely hope that they are not just taking a break! She better be smarter than that.

Army Wife of a Deployed Soldier

Taking a break would be better. Usually people say separated for people who are married. They aren't together, but aren't divorced either.

Inga

no you were wrong
separation is what you do in a MARRIAGE before divorce

they broke up. duh

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