apart

[ uh-pahrt ]

adverb

1. into pieces or parts; to pieces:

   to take a watch apart; an old barn falling apart from decay.

2. separately in place, time, motion, etc.:

   New York and Tokyo are thousands of miles apart. Our birthdays are three days apart.

3. to or at one side, with respect to place, purpose, or function:

   to put money apart for education; to keep apart from the group out of pride.

4. separately or individually in consideration:

   each factor viewed apart from the others.

5. aside (used with a gerund or noun):

   Joking apart, what do you think?

adjective

1. having independent or unique qualities, features, or characteristics; separate (usually used following the noun it modifies):

   a class apart.

verb phrase

1. 1. to disassemble:

      to take a clock apart.

   2. Informal. to criticize; attack:

      She was taken apart for her controversial stand.

   3. to subject to intense examination:

      He will take your feeble excuses apart.

apart

/ əˈpɑːt /

adjective

1. to pieces or in pieces

   he had the television 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 or put apart )
3. separate in time, place, or position; at a distance

   two points three feet apart

   he stood apart from the group

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
   preposition besides; other than

Other Words From

• a·part·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of apart¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French a part “to one side”; a- ⁵, part

Word History and Origins

Origin of apart¹

C14: from Old French a part at (the) side

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. apart from, aside from; in addition to:

   Apart from other considerations, time is a factor.

More idioms and phrases containing apart

In addition to the idiom beginning with apart , also see come apart ; fall apart ; pick apart ; poles apart ; set apart ; take apart ; tear apart ; tell apart .

Example Sentences

But the tough carbon-fluorine bonds in the compounds resist being torn apart, leading to expensive remediation schemes that rely on powerful chemicals and high temperatures and pressures.

From Science Magazine

"They’ve already been through so much — and each time it happens, it kind of rips apart an old wound," he said of his clients.

From Salon

"We got elected in July and of course nothing had been done, nothing for 18 months apart from warm words."

From BBC

The restaurants’ affordable prices and use of higher-quality ingredients set Fresh Brothers apart in the crowded field of pizza chains, Majewski said.

From Los Angeles Times

When asked about the file he had called "my naked daughter", he addressed her across the room: "I have watched her fall apart... Caroline, I never touched you."

From BBC