DictionaryAI

departure

noun
di-PAHR-chur/dɪˈpɑɹt͡ʃɚ/di-PAR-chuh/dɪˈpɑː(ɹ)tjə(ɹ)/

Pluraldepartures

7 meanings of departure

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable or uncountable
    The act of leaving a place, or the moment of going away.

    Like the moment a train pulls out of the station and leaves.

    Our departure was delayed by two hours because of the storm.

    Before her departure, she hugged everyone goodbye at the door.

    Similarexit, going, withdrawal, takeoff

    Oppositearrival, entrance, return

  2. 2
    nouncountable
    A move away from the usual plan or way of doing something.

    Like taking a different road than the one you always use.

    This recipe is a real departure from how my grandmother made the dish.

    The new rule marks a big departure from past practice at the school.

    Similardeviation, divergence, break, shift, change

    Oppositeconformity, adherence, continuation

    Note
  3. 3
    nouneuphemisticcountable
    A gentle way of saying that someone has died.

    Like a candle that gently goes out at the end of the night.

    After a long illness, his quiet departure came in the night, surrounded by family.

    The community held a service to honor her departure from this world.

    Similarpassing, death, demise

    Note
  4. 4
    nouncountable
    In sailing, how far east or west a ship has moved from its starting line.

    Like measuring how far sideways you have drifted from a straight line.

    The navigator worked out the ship's departure after a full day at sea.

    A strong wind increased the boat's departure to the west during the crossing.

    Note
  5. 5
    nouncountable
    In surveying, how far east or west one end of a line sits from the other.

    Like noting how many steps to the side you move between two points.

    The surveyor recorded the departure of each boundary line in the field book.

    A small error in the measured angle changed the line's departure noticeably.

    Note
  6. 6
    nouncountable
    In law, when someone in a court case drops their earlier argument and uses a new one.

    Like changing your story instead of sticking to what you said before.

    The judge warned the lawyer about a departure in his latest filing.

    A clear departure from the earlier claim weakened their whole case.

    Note

Less common meaning

  1. 7
    nounobsoleteuncountable
    The act of separating or dividing things, or putting them apart.
    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Old French deporteure, meaning departure or death. It can be seen as depart plus -ure.