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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Shine On, Luz Véliz!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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
But after a 3-9 season, during which former head coach DeShaun Foster, defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri departed the program, Cole entered the transfer portal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
It is just three months since Villa lifted the Europa League, but much has changed since then with Rogers, Tielemans and Lucas Digne - who all started in the final - having all departed.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 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
When the Abbot had departed, Chickenhound snuggled his filthy body down against the clean white sheets.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
