separation vs sorting

separation and sorting both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
separation	Yes	No	No	No
sorting	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, sorting is a hypernym of separation; that is, sorting is a word with a broader meaning than separation:

separation (noun)	sorting (noun)
the social act of separating or parting company	grouping by class or kind or size
the act of dividing or disconnecting	the basic cognitive process of arranging into classes or categories
(law) the cessation of cohabitation of man and wife (either by mutual agreement or under a court order)	an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion
sorting one thing from others
the distance between things
coming apart
the termination of employment (by resignation or dismissal)
the space where a division or parting occurs
the state of lacking unity