1 B1 neutral
To be physically positioned at a distance from others or from a group.
"The two guards stood apart from the crowd, watching the entrance carefully."
inseparable
stand apart
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To be clearly different or separate from others in a notable way.
In plain English
To be special or different from everyone else around you.
What does "stand apart" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To be clearly different or superior to others due to a distinctive quality or characteristic.
"Her ability to remain calm under pressure made her stand apart from the other candidates."
“
What makes Apple stand apart is its obsessive focus on the user experience.
— Steve Jobs, interview with BusinessWeek, 2004
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic formal
To remain separate from a conflict, movement, or group by choice, refusing to take sides.
"Several nations chose to stand apart from the alliance during the dispute."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically position yourself away from others.
Actually means
To be special or different from everyone else around you.
Usage tip
Used in both literal (physical distance) and figurative (distinctive quality) senses. The figurative sense is more common in formal and written contexts.
Words that pair with "stand apart"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowd competition rest peers others pack
How to conjugate "stand apart"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stand apart
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stands apart
he/she/it
Past simple
stood apart
yesterday
Past participle
stood apart
have + pp
-ing form
standing apart
continuous
Hear "stand apart" in the wild
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Other ways to say "stand apart"
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Keep exploring
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