A more thorough explanation:

Term: Separate
Definition: Separate is an old-fashioned word that means a debt that can be recovered and is not hopeless. In the past, people used to consider whether a debt was separate or desperate to determine if it could be collected.
Example: John owed $100 to his friend, but he had no money to pay him back. His friend thought the debt was separate because John had a job and could pay him back eventually. However, if John had lost his job and had no way to pay back the debt, it would be considered desperate.
This example illustrates that separate debts are recoverable and not hopeless, while desperate debts are unlikely to be collected.