as in solitude
the state of being alone or kept apart from others
the separateness of the island community has given it a distinct culture
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Recent Examples of separateness
These immigrants, who first settled the backcountry of Pennsylvania before pushing farther to the western and southern frontier, brought with them a cultural and linguistic separateness that had an immense impact on the speech of the American heartland.
—
Valerie Fridland, Big Think, 21 Apr. 2026
Byrne is generous with his time and attention, but there’s also a Warholian air of mystery about him—a gentle impenetrability, a feeling of separateness.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Since becoming president of Taiwan, last May, Lai has asserted Taiwan’s separateness from the mainland and muted his predecessor’s efforts to reassure Beijing.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025
Valerie Fridland, Big Think, 21 Apr. 2026
Byrne is generous with his time and attention, but there’s also a Warholian air of mystery about him—a gentle impenetrability, a feeling of separateness.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Since becoming president of Taiwan, last May, Lai has asserted Taiwan’s separateness from the mainland and muted his predecessor’s efforts to reassure Beijing.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separateness
Noun
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Even Michael’s social life is left blank, far beyond his adolescent solitudes.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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Exploring his life means speaking about excellence, work, doubt, legitimacy, and solitude.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For Cook, Apple's privacy-first approach to user data has long been a differentiator compared to other tech giants like Meta and Google, which specialize in letting brands target users with ads.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
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Egan is seeking damages for assault, battery, negligence, and invasion of privacy.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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By the end of that show, the anxiety and isolation that freight life in the closet had burned away, leaving a happy, hopeful ending in place of familiar narrative disaster; love is found, secrecy is banished, and all is well.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Similar to the isolation tactic of love bombing, this is another part of the gaslighting process.—
Kathy and Ross Petrass,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Chinamaxxing romanticizes things that feel structurally out of reach at home — compact, affordable-looking apartments; public transit that works; streets safe to walk at night; multigenerational households as an antidote to loneliness; communal meals as an antidote to atomization.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Although older adults typically have fewer acute one-time episodes, they are more often faced with chronic stress such as illness, financial insecurity, caregiving responsibilities as well as loneliness, loss and grief and even retirement.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Scott was a pioneering Black lawmaker David Albert Scott was born in rural Aynor, South Carolina, on June 27, 1945, in the era of Jim Crow segregation.—
Bill Barrow,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2026
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Partners Waste Management and Stericycle conduct educational programs for families and visitors on segregation of waste.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Separateness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separateness. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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