In addition to the uses shown below, apart is used in phrasal verbs such as 'grow apart' and 'take apart'.
1. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
When people or things are apart, they are some distance from each other.
He was standing a bit apart from the rest of us, watching us. [+ from]
She saw Sheila standing some distance apart.
Ray and sister Renee lived just 25 miles apart from each other. [+ from]
...regions that were too far apart to have any way of knowing about each other.
He was standing, feet apart.
Synonyms: aside, away, alone, independently More Synonyms of apart
2. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If two people or things move apart or are pulled apart, they move away from each other.
John and Isabelle moved apart, back into the sun.
He tried in vain to keep the two dogs apart before the neighbour intervened.
3. adverb [beADVERB, ADVERB after verb]
If two people are apart, they are no longer living together or spending time together, either permanently or just for a short time.
It was the first time Jane and I had been apart for more than a few days.
The law forbade spouses to live apart for any length of time.
4. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If you take something apart, you separate it into the pieces that it is made of. If it comes or falls apart, its parts separate from each other.
When the clock stopped he took it apart to find out what was wrong.
Many school buildings are unsafe, and some are falling apart.
Synonyms: to pieces, to bits, asunder [literary], into parts More Synonyms of apart
5. adverb [ADVERB after verb]
If something such as an organization or relationship falls apart, or if something tears it apart, it can no longer continue because it has serious difficulties.
Any manager knows that his company will start falling apart if his attention wanders.
The couple's relationship fell apart.
6. adverb [ADVERB after verb, noun ADVERB]
If something sets someone or something apart, it makes them different from other people or things.
What really sets Mr Thaksin apart is that he comes from northern Thailand.
7. adjective
If people or groups are a long way apart on a particular topic or issue, they have completely different views and disagree about it.
It's a bit worrying that we are so far apart on this.
Their concept of a performance and our concept were miles apart.
8.
See can't tell apart
More Synonyms of apart
apart indicating exceptions and focusing
(əpɑːʳt)
1.
See apart from
2. adverb [noun ADVERB]
You use apart when you are making an exception to a general statement.
This was, New York apart, the first American city I had ever been in where peopleactually lived downtown.
3. phrase
You use apart from to indicate that you are aware of one aspect of a situation, but that you are going to focus on another aspect.
Illiteracy threatens Britain's industrial performance. But, quite apart from that,the individual who cannot read or write is unlikely to get a job.
There was always something to look forward to, apart from Rachel's visits.
4. adverb [noun ADVERB]
You use apart to indicate that you are aware of one aspect of a situation, but that you are goingto focus on another aspect.
That argument apart, it is for the Germans themselves to work out how their forcesshould come together.
apart in British English
(əˈpɑːt)
adjective, adverb(postpositive)
1.
to pieces or in pieces
he had the laptop apart on the floor
2.
placed or kept separately or to one side for a particular purpose, reason, etc; aside (esp in the phrases set orput apart)
3.
separate in time, place, or position; at a distance
she stood apart from the group
two points three feet apart
4.
not being taken into account; aside
these difficulties apart, the project ran smoothly
5.
individual; distinct; separate
a race apart
6.
separately or independently in use, thought, or function
considered apart, his reasoning was faulty
7. apart from
See also take apart, tell apart
Word origin
C14: from Old French a part at (the) side
apart in American English
(əˈpɑrt)
adverb
1.
to one side; at a little distance; aside
2.
separately or away in place or time
born two years apart
3.
reserved for a particular purpose
4.
separately or independently in function, use, etc.
viewed apart
5.
in or to pieces
to take a motor apart
6.
aside; notwithstanding
all joking apart
adjective
7.
separated; not together
used in the predicate
Idioms:
apart from
take apart
tell apart
Word origin
ME < OFr a part < L ad, to, at + partem, acc. of pars, a side, part2
More idioms containing
apart
poles apart
come apart at the seams
Examples of 'apart' in a sentence
apart
The people are so warm and friendly and it is tearing me apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
So are foxes before this lot rip them apart.
The Sun (2017)
They were found about half a mile apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Does sleeping apart keep you together?
The Sun (2017)
We cut them apart at times.
The Sun (2017)
They would have been exactly 3½ years apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
These couples often live apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In come cases, the outlets were just 40 yards apart.
The Sun (2016)
The players had to be dragged apart as they left the pitch at halftime.
The Sun (2008)
Your hips should face the wall at all times and your feet should remain hip distance apart.
Lycholat, Tony Shape Your Body, Shape Your Life (1987)
They think that he slipped into the sofa as it was taken apart before being moved.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The rival groups were kept apart by a huge police presence.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We both work long hours and we seem to have just drifted apart.
The Sun (2014)
But she is very sly and manipulative and the situation is tearing us apart.
The Sun (2016)
The reunion of a couple after time spent apart is always a poignant moment.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Your son should have a strong bond with both his parents whether they live together or apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They live thousands of miles apart but she was drawn to him after hearing what happened.
The Sun (2014)
Their businesses are at risk of being ripped apart and swallowed piecemeal by more ambitious banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They each involve lies made three years apart.
The Sun (2008)
The pair had to be dragged apart.
The Sun (2012)
The bars keep the moving rails the correct distance apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My job was to ensure the two groups remained safely apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
That underlines just how far apart we are philosophically on those things.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In the end we decided to have time apart to get our heads straight.
The Sun (2013)
The trees are usually set about ten feet apart and the trunks kept bare of branches to about ten feet above the ground.
Page, Russell The Education of a Gardener (1994)
We live 100 miles apart and cannot live together for at least three years.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They moved apart, looking at each other.
George Eliot Middlemarch (1872)
We have to stick to this otherwise they'll tear us apart.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You'll need two rugs about 20m apart to act as bases.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
apart
British English: apart /əˈpɑːt/ ADVERB
distant When things are apart, there is a space or a distance between them.
The desks are too far apart.
American English: apart
Arabic: مُنفَصِلاً
Brazilian Portuguese: separado
Chinese: 分离
Croatian: odvojeno
Czech: od sebe
Danish: fra hinanden
Dutch: apart
European Spanish: aparte
Finnish: erillään
French: hormis
German: auseinander
Greek: χωριστά
Italian: lontano
Japanese: 別個に
Korean: 따로따로
Norwegian: atskilt
Polish: oddzielnie
European Portuguese: à parte
Romanian: distanțat
Russian: в стороне
Latin American Spanish: aparte
Swedish: isär
Thai: แยกจาก
Turkish: ayrı
Ukrainian: окремо
Vietnamese: riêng ra
British English: apart /əˈpɑːt/ ADVERB
to pieces If you take something apart, you take it to pieces.
He took his bike apart.
American English: apart
Arabic: مُفَكَّك
Brazilian Portuguese: destruir
Chinese: 成零碎
Croatian: rastaviti
Czech: na kusyrozebrat
Danish: skille ad
Dutch: uit elkaar
European Spanish: en mil pedazos
Finnish: purkaa osiin
French: démonter
German: auseinander
Greek: κομμάτια
Italian: smontare
Japanese: ばらばらに
Korean: 조각조각
Norwegian: demontere
Polish: od siebie, jedno od drugiego
European Portuguese: em peçados
Romanian: în bucăți
Russian: раздельно
Latin American Spanish: aparte
Swedish: isär
Thai: แยกเป็นส่วนๆ
Turkish: ayırmak
Ukrainian: на частини
Vietnamese: thành nhiều mảnh
All related terms of 'apart'
rip apart
If something rips people apart , it causes them to quarrel or fight so seriously that they can no longer be friends .
set apart
If a characteristic sets you apart from other people, it makes you different from the others in a noticeable way.
apart from
You use apart from when you are making an exception to a general statement.
drift apart
to gradually lose interest in or affection for each other
fall apart
If something falls apart , it breaks into pieces because it is old or badly made.
grow apart
If people who have a close relationship grow apart , they gradually start to have different interests and opinions from each other, and their relationship starts to fail .
pick apart
to separate or tear into many parts
poles apart
If you say that two people or things are poles apart , you mean that they have completely different beliefs , opinions, or qualities.
pull apart
to criticize harshly
take apart
If you take something apart , you separate it into the different parts that it is made of.
tear apart
If something tears people apart , it causes them to quarrel or to leave each other.
tell apart
If you can tell people or things apart , you are able to recognize the differences between them and can therefore identify each of them.
joking apart
seriously : said to recall a discussion to seriousness after there has been joking
streets apart
markedly different
worlds apart
If you say that two people or things are worlds apart , you are emphasizing that they are very different from each other.
can't tell apart
If you can't tell two people or things apart , they look exactly the same to you.
come apart at the seams
to be in a very bad state and about to fail
quite apart from something
used to indicate that you are aware of one aspect of a situation, but that you are going to focus on another aspect
come apart at the seams/fall apart at the seams
If something is coming apart at the seams or is falling apart at the seams , it is no longer working properly and may soon stop working completely.
Chinese translation of 'apart'
apart
(əˈpɑːt)
adv
[move, pull]分开(開) (fēnkāi)
sit apart from the others不和其他人坐在一起 (bù hé qítā rén zuò zài yīqǐ)
to be apart[couple, family]分开(開) (fēnkāi)
to live apart分居 (fēnjū)
10 miles apart相距10英里 (xiāngjù shí yīnglǐ)
a long way apart意见(見)迥异(異) (yìjiàn jiǒngyì)
with one's legs/feet apart某人的腿/脚(腳)分开(開) (mǒurén de tuǐ/jiǎo fēnkāi)
to take sth apart拆卸某物 (chāixiè mǒuwù)
to come or fall apart崩溃(潰) (bēngkuì)
apart from (= excepting) 除去 (chúqù) (= in addition to) 除了 ... 以外 (chúle ... yǐwài)
I can't tell them apart我不能分辨二者 (wǒ bùnéng fēnbiàn èrzhě)
set apart (from)位于(於) ... 的远(遠)处(處) (wèiyú ... de yuǎnchù)