departure
Americannoun
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departures
plural
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an act or instance of departing.
the time of departure; a hasty departure.
- Synonyms:
- leave-taking, exit, going, leaving
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divergence or deviation, as from a standard, rule, etc..
a departure from accepted teaching methods.
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Navigation.
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the distance due east or west traveled by a vessel or aircraft.
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Surveying. the length of the projection, on the east-west reference line, of a survey line.
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Archaic. death.
noun
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the act or an instance of departing
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a deviation or variation from previous custom; divergence
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a project, course of action, venture, etc
selling is a new departure for him
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nautical
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the net distance travelled due east or west by a vessel
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Also called: point of departure. the latitude and longitude of the point from which a vessel calculates dead reckoning
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a euphemistic word for death
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of departure
1375–1425; late Middle English < Old French departëure; compare Anglo-French departir (noun use of infinitive). See depart, -ure
Explanation
A departure is the act of leaving somewhere. Think about an airport that has departure gates for outgoing passengers and an arrival area for people flying in. Since departing means to leave, a departure is an act of leaving. There are many type of departures, such as when you go to the store or take a flight. A departure can be a metaphor too, as in a departure from the norm, like if a TV cop show suddenly turns into a vampire show. If a comedian starts being serious, that's a departure too. This word is also a euphemism for death, as in "a departure from life."
Vocabulary lists containing departure
Bless Me, Ultima
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 2
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 14–May 20, 2022
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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:
As we began our goodbyes, Miller conceded that her friend’s planned departure has been a blow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
"The US Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency US government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia," a state department spokesperson said in a statement.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Also Wednesday, the State Department said it ordered the departure from Saudi Arabia of nonemergency U.S. government employees and their family members in response to increased hostilities against Saudi Arabia by the Houthis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
According to the report, the disturbance interfered with railway signals in Exeter and delayed the scheduled 10:05 p.m. train departure by 16 minutes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
They set out early in the forenoon, some on horseback, the rest in carriages; I witnessed both the departure and the return.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
One of his most notable departures from form was when he set out to write what he described at the time as an “African Game of Thrones.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
But in comments to MarketWatch, a State Department spokesperson emphasized that the ordered departures are only for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families in Saudi Arabia.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
More coach package tickets were sold for certain departures than there are seats available, according to an email See Tickets sent to customers.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The internal revolt at the network has become a daily reality for rank-and-file employees who watched the forced departures of foundational figures like Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
But for every one of those, there was one that spiraled into sniping and accusations, slammed doors and quick departures.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
