Word for two collections that do not have any elements in common
I'm looking for a word for when you have a collection A and a collection B and they have no overlap.
In mathematical terms: the relation between two sets where the intersection is empty. Like in this Venn diagram:
The word that keeps popping up in my mind is disparate sets, but I don't feel that completely covers the meaning when I look at the definition, because that doesn't seem to preclude overlapping sets that are different:
disparate 1. distinct in kind; essentially different; dissimilar: disparate ideas.
Solution 1:
You want disjoint, as in "disjoint sets".
From Wolfram Mathworld:
Disjoint Sets
Two sets A1 and A2 are disjoint if their intersection A1 ∩ A2 = ∅, where ∅ is the empty set.
Disjoint sets are also said to be mutually exclusive or independent.
Solution 2:
You might consider orthogonal
Very different or unrelated; sharply divergent: "Radical Islamists are ultimately seeking to create something orthogonal to our model of democracy" (Richard A. Clarke). [American Heritage]
This suggest something very different, not just non-overlapping.