depart

American  

[dih-pahrt] / dɪˈpɑrt /

verb (used without object)

departs, present (3rd person singular) departed, past participle, past departing present participle

1. to go away; leave.

   She departed from Paris today. The train departs at 10:52.

   Antonyms:

   arrive

2. to diverge or deviate (usually followed byfrom ).

   The new method departs from the old in several respects.

3. to pass away, as from life or existence; die.

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verb (used with object)

departs, present (3rd person singular) departed, past participle, past departing present participle

1. to go away from; leave.

   to depart this life.

   Synonyms:

   quit

noun

1. Archaic. departure; death.

depart British  

/ dɪˈpɑːt /

verb

1. to go away; leave

2. to start out; set forth

3. (usually foll by from) to deviate; differ; vary

   to depart from normal procedure

4. (tr) to quit (archaic, except in the phrase depart this life )

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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

• undeparting
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have departed
  perfect
• has departed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• departing
  participle
• am departing
  progressive 1st person singular
• is departing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• departs
  singular 3rd person
• are departing
  progressive
• has been departing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been departing
  perfect progressive

Past

• had departed
  perfect
• were departing
  progressive plural
• had been departing
  perfect progressive
• departed
  simple
• was departing
  progressive singular
• departed
  participle

Future

• will depart
  simple
• will have departed
  perfect
• will be departing
  progressive
• will have been departing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

Pelley is the fourth correspondent to depart “60 Minutes” since Weiss took over as editor in chief.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

Tigers saw over 500 international caps depart in total.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Exxon saw board member Jeffrey Ubben depart, arguably its most environmentally-minded director.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The London-based company said Tuesday that its board had unanimously decided that Manifold should no longer serve as chair, and that he would depart immediately.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

They pay their respects in silence, and when the sun has risen, the men pick up the bier and depart; but the women stay behind, for this is the custom.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• abandon
• blast off
• disappear
• escape
• evacuate
• exit
• go
• pull out
• quit
• remove
• retire
• vacate
• withdraw