Phrase guide

separation of powers

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A theoretical model for governance, common in democratic states, which features the division of sovereign power into at least three (but sometimes up to six) organs of state in order to forestall tyranny, by preventing the acquisition of a monopoly of power by a monarch or oligarchy; also, such an arrangement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: hakimiyyətlərin bölünməsi — model for governance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 三權分立 /三权分立 (sānquánfēnlì) — model for governance
  • Dutch: trias politica — model for governance
  • Dutch: scheiding der machten — model for governance
  • Finnish: vallan ositus — model for governance
  • French: séparation des pouvoirs — model for governance
  • Georgian: ხელისუფლების დანაწილება (xelisuplebis danac̣ileba) — model for governance
  • German: Gewaltenteilung — model for governance
  • German: Gewaltentrennung — model for governance
  • Greek: διάκριση των εξουσιών (diákrisi ton exousión) — model for governance
  • Icelandic: þrískipting ríkisvaldsins — model for governance
  • Indonesian: pemisahan kekuasaan — model for governance
  • Italian: separazione dei poteri — model for governance
  • Japanese: 三権分立 (sankenbunritsu) — model for governance
  • Latin: trias polītica — model for governance
  • Malay: pengasingan kuasa — model for governance
  • Polish: trójpodział władzy — model for governance
  • Polish: podział władzy — model for governance
  • Polish: podział władz — model for governance
  • Portuguese: separação dos poderes — model for governance
  • Romanian: separația puterilor — model for governance
  • Russian: разделе́ние власте́й (razdelénije vlastéj) — model for governance
  • Spanish: separación de poderes — model for governance
  • Swedish: maktdelning — model for governance
  • Ukrainian: розпо́діл держа́вної вла́ди (rozpódil deržávnoji vlády) — model for governance
  • Vietnamese: tam quyền phân lập — model for governance