depart
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to go away; leave.
She departed from Paris today. The train departs at 10:52.
- Antonyms:
- arrive
-
to diverge or deviate (usually followed byfrom ).
The new method departs from the old in several respects.
-
to pass away, as from life or existence; die.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
to go away; leave
-
to start out; set forth
-
(usually foll by from) to deviate; differ; vary
to depart from normal procedure
-
(tr) to quit (archaic, except in the phrase depart this life )
Related Words
Depart, retire, retreat, withdraw imply leaving a place. Depart is a somewhat literary word for going away from a place: to depart on a journey. Retire emphasizes absenting oneself or drawing back from a place: to retire from a position in battle. Retreat implies a necessary withdrawal, especially as a result of adverse fortune in war: to retreat to secondary lines of defense. Withdraw suggests leaving some specific place or situation, usually for some definite and often unpleasant reason: to withdraw from a hopeless task.
Other Word Forms
- undeparting adjective
Etymology
Origin of depart
1175–1225; Middle English departen < Old French departir, equivalent to de- de- + partir to go away; part ( v. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Both teams will depart for India on Sunday for the T20 World Cup.
From Barron's
Allen and Rachin Ravindra put on 100 runs for the second wicket before the wheels soon came off for New Zealand as Allen departed.
From Barron's
Allen and Rachin Ravindra put on 100 runs for the second wicket before the wheels soon came off for New Zealand as Allen departed.
From Barron's
“Mr. Fleetwood, would you like to join me for a stroll on deck before we depart?”
From Literature
![]()
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had indicated to colleagues he was optimistic that Powell would depart when his term as chair ended—until the subpoenas landed, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.