departed
Americanadjective
-
deceased; dead.
-
gone; past.
noun
-
departeds
plural
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of departed
Explanation
Something that's departed is gone, or happened in the distant past. An archaeologist might unearth artifacts from a departed era. Anything that's past or long gone is departed, including a person who has died. When your friend talks about her dear, departed Uncle Bob, you know that Uncle Bob is no longer living. The word has been a euphemism for "dead" since at least the 16th century — the traditional wedding service once read "till death us depart," rather than today's "till death do us part."
Vocabulary lists containing departed
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
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Shine On, Luz Véliz!
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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.
The aircraft had departed from the Loisaba wildlife reserve.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Earlier this month, Google veteran Jeff Dean departed along with three of the company’s top AI researchers to launch the startup Discovery Loop.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
After Iger departed, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pushed back his swivel chair and stood to address the room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The 1979 movie version, a landmark of the Aussie New Wave, established the careers of director Gillian Armstrong, actress Judy Davis and the recently departed New Zealander Sam Neill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
As they departed, their flashlights swept the dismal lot, but their bodies were more relaxed now.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
