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a·part (ə-pärt)
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adv.
1.
a. At a distance in place, position, or time: railings spaced two feet apart; born three years apart.
b. Away from another or others: grew apart over the years; decided to live apart.
2. In or into parts or pieces: split apart.
3. One from another: I can't tell the twins apart.
4. Aside or in reserve, as for a separate use or purpose: funds set apart for the project.
5. As a distinct item or entity: Quality sets it apart.
adj.
Set apart; isolated. Used after a noun or in the predicate: a people who have existed over the centuries as a world apart.
prep.
Being excepted or excluded from consideration: All joking apart, I think you're wrong.
[Middle English, from Old French a part : a, to (from Latin ad; see AD-) + part, side (from Latin pars, part-; see PART).]
a·partness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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