depart

[dih-pahrt]

verb (used without object)

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.

verb (used with object)

1. to go away from; leave.

   to depart this life.

   Synonyms: quit

noun

1. Archaic.,  departure; death.

depart

/ 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 )

Other Word Forms

• undeparting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of depart¹

1175–1225; Middle English departen < Old French departir, equivalent to de- de- + partir to go away; part ( v. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of depart¹

C13: from Old French departir, from _de- + partir to go away, divide, from Latin partīrī to divide, distribute, from pars a part

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

By characterizing this belief as a “proposition,” Lincoln subtly departed from the language of the declaration, which characterized it as “self-evident.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He tried to leave Jamaica in the days before the storm hit but all departing flights were fully booked.

Read more on BBC

Sheridan’s decision to depart shows the delicate line executives like Ellison have to walk in trying to foster talent while maintaining some control and managing costs.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The former Liverpool and Leicester City boss departs with the champions trailing Hearts by eight points after nine Scottish Premiership games.

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But the president pulled Isaacman’s nomination in May – the same week Musk departed his role in Washington — calling the Musk ally a “blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before.”

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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