depart
Americanverb (used without object)
-
departs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
departed,
past participle, past
-
departing
present participle
-
to go away; leave.
She departed from Paris today. The train departs at 10:52.
- Antonyms:
- arrive
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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)
-
departs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
departed,
past participle, past
-
departing
present participle
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 )
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
departsimple
-
departssimple
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have departedperfect
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has departedperfect
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am departingprogressive
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are departingprogressive
-
is departingprogressive
-
have been departingperfect progressive
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has been departingperfect progressive
Past
-
departedsimple
-
had departedperfect
-
was departingprogressive
-
were departingprogressive
-
had been departingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of depart
1175–1225; Middle English departen < Old French departir, equivalent to de- de- + partir to go away; see part ( v. )
Explanation
To depart is to go away or to choose a different direction. If you are catching a plane, you are soon to depart. And, if you are wearing a kilt instead of jeans, you depart from your usual look. Airports and train stations have gates for arrivals and departures. Airplanes and people coming in "arrive" while those going out depart. You also can depart without going anywhere, as when you change your mind and depart from an earlier decision. To "depart from the norm" is an expression for doing something different than expected, like giggling during a tear-jerker of a movie.
Vocabulary lists containing depart
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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.
See Examples For:
Two drilling rigs are set to depart Houston on Monday for a six-day voyage to Venezuela on a cargo vessel called the BBC Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Earlier this month, a dinghy which had launched from near Cherbourg in the Bay of the Seine - further west than boats normally depart - was brought ashore in Hampshire, triggering protests in Portsmouth.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The Rams will depart for Australia on Tuesday night for their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
French authorities said it was unusual for the migrant boat to depart from the area - 170 miles away from the usual launches around Calais making the crossing to the UK significantly longer.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Soon all were ready to depart: twenty-four horses, with Gimli behind Legolas, and Merry in front of Aragorn.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
As Creative Director Ib Kamara departs Off-White, what’s going on at the luxury streetwear label?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
But this version of “A Different World” departs from its source material in its narrative format and tone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
He was initially set to continue in his Lions role, leaving a planned tour of South Africa early to join-up with Thunder, but now departs the national set-up.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
While Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have scored regularly at this tournament, Salah departs with just one goal to show for his efforts.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The door opens and closes as Mr. Redfern departs, and I turn my attention to the sheriff.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
That last one, rendered as a cute and huggable mascot from beyond, is a surreal manifestation of a departed husband in the lightly endearing “Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Bobby Forbes, the recently departed chair of the UK Youth Parliament's Youth Select Committee, which works with officials in Westminster, said it gives teenagers "a direct way to scrutinise government and hold decision-makers to account".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The diplomatic train departed earlier than expected “as part of real-time adjustments to train schedules due to the constant threat of Russian strikes,” Ukrainian Railways said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
The still-smouldering ferry, which originally departed from Manila, sits about a kilometre from Coron after running aground just off a smaller island.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
He picked up his little sister and departed.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Also departing was writer Martin Herlihy, the second member of the Please Don’t Destroy video trio to exit, leaving only Ben Marshall, who’s listed as a featured player.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
The American leader will attend the tournament Sunday -- the main reason for the trip -- before departing for Washington later that day.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Panic about the existential threat of AI spread across mainstream America following a warning from a departing Anthropic researcher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Nadeem Meghji’s departure adds to the list of real-estate executives departing Blackstone over the past three years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The daily Pan Am flight is departing for the States.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
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.
