離別(りべつ)

りべつ
noun
separation; parting; divorce
formalsocietyfamily
1. separation; parting
Being separated from someone, especially a loved one, with emotional weight. Implies a significant, often permanent separation.
親子(おやこ)の離別(りべつ)はつらい。
Separation between parent and child is painful.
戦争(せんそう)で家族(かぞく)と離別(りべつ)した。
I was separated from my family by the war.
幼(おさな)い頃(ころ)に母親(ははおや)と離別(りべつ)し、祖父母(そふぼ)に育(そだ)てられた。
Separated from my mother at a young age, I was raised by my grandparents.
2. divorce; marital separation
The formal dissolution of a marriage or the act of husband and wife separating. A formal or literary alternative to 離婚(りこん).
夫婦(ふうふ)が離別(りべつ)する。
A married couple separates.
離別(りべつ)後(ご)、子供(こども)の親権(しんけん)が問題(もんだい)になった。
After the divorce, child custody became an issue.
両親(りょうしん)が離別(りべつ)したのは私(わたし)が五歳(ごさい)のときだった。
My parents divorced when I was five years old.

Composed of 離(り) (separate, leave) + 別(べつ) (part, divide). Carries a more emotional and literary tone than everyday words for separation or divorce.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 別離(べつり): parting, separation — more literary and poetic; emphasizes emotional pain
  • 離婚(りこん): divorce — the standard legal and everyday term for divorce
  • 離散(りさん): dispersal, scattering — used when family members are scattered to different places, often by war or disaster
  • 別(わか)れ: parting, farewell — the most common everyday word for parting

Register

Formal and somewhat literary. In everyday conversation, 別(わか)れ or 離婚(りこん) would be more natural.

Related Words

Compare: 別離(べつり) (parting, separation)
Compare: 離婚(りこん) (divorce)
Compare: 離散(りさん) (dispersal, scattering)
Compare: 別(わか)れ (parting, farewell)
Compare: 惜別(せきべつ) (parting with regret)
general
Added 2026.4.2 23:13 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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