departure
Americannoun
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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.
This represents a sharp departure from the historical trend.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026
Nike, in a press release announcing his departure in 2023, said he was retiring.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Arbeloa was a youth coach in Madrid before taking over as interim manager following the departure of Xabi Alonso in January.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
A single departure doesn’t outweigh downtown’s momentum, which includes a growing residential population and nightlife, entertainment and tourism, he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
October 30 was the appointed day of departure.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
