legal separation
1
4.9
- noun
- /ˈliːɡəl ˌsɛpəˈreɪʃən/
- Formal
:
separación legal
- The couple agreed on a mutual legal separation to divide their assets fairly.
- divorce and legal separation
Examples
-
Divorce or legal separation was authorized by the court only for reasons of adultery, excessive abuse, desertion, or dishonorable conduct, with the innocent party eligible for alimony.
Academic text (1994) -
In the Kinkades' case, Mrs. Kinkade filed for a legal separation, not Mr. Kinkade.
Blog text (34) -
Then make sure you have a legal separation with a legal property settlement signed by both parties.
Blog text (7) -
"I know that, but it isn't a legal separation.
Fiction book (1991) -
I had filed for legal separation, canceled when I realized the bite it took from my account.
Blog text (30) -
Irreconcilable differences can be used as grounds for legal separation and divorce.
Blog text (10) -
The cost of maintaining separate households borne by debtors who were living apart, either because of a legal separation or the requirements of employment.
Academic text (2017) -
Four years later, Crafts wrote a divorce law for the District of Columbia that made adultery the only grounds for divorce but allowed legal separation in certain cases.
Academic text (2002) -
After years of arguing, they decided to pursue a legal separation to live apart peacefully.
-
She sought a legal separation as a step toward eventually ending her marriage.
Synonyms
95
3.7
When married people stop living together but are not divorced
1
8.2
A court order that lets married people live apart but stay married
Antonyms
How Official
963
2.9
- Formal
1
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun combines 'legal' (pertaining to law) with 'separation' (living apart), so its meaning as a court- or agreement-based arrangement where spouses live apart is directly derivable from the constituents. This adjective+noun composition is a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Legal separation comes from the idea that a court makes a couple's separation official with a legal order, so they live apart but stay married. That's why it means 'to live apart while remaining married'.