departure

American  

[dih-pahr-cher] / dɪˈpɑr tʃər /

noun

• departures
  plural

1. an act or instance of departing.

   the time of departure; a hasty departure.

   Synonyms:

   leave-taking, exit, going, leaving

2. divergence or deviation, as from a standard, rule, etc..

   a departure from accepted teaching methods.

3. Navigation.

   1. the distance due east or west traveled by a vessel or aircraft.

   2. point of departure.

4. Surveying. the length of the projection, on the east-west reference line, of a survey line.

5. Archaic. death.

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departure British  

/ dɪˈpɑːtʃə /

noun

1. the act or an instance of departing

2. a deviation or variation from previous custom; divergence

3. a project, course of action, venture, etc

   selling is a new departure for him

4. nautical

   1. the net distance travelled due east or west by a vessel

   2. Also called: point of departure. the latitude and longitude of the point from which a vessel calculates dead reckoning

5. a euphemistic word for death

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondeparture
  noun
• predeparture
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• departures
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

departure departures

Albertsons moved its retail media network under CMO Emily Turner following the departure of Brian Monahan, who had led the network since 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

After his departure from the Dodgers, Claire worked as a columnist and analyst for MLB.com, a radio show host, an instructor at USC and a consultant to companies involved with sports.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

A photograph captured his departure later that day, looking exhausted, after he was released under investigation.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The film marks a departure for Gilroy, who cut his teeth writing action movies like the "Bourne" films and legal thrillers like "Michael Clayton."

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

That evening in the middle of the dog watch, Captain Prince took his departure from Cape Ann.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

People queue at metal detectors and gaze up at the departures board.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Last season, Ashley Padilla emerged as a breakout star, carrying a heavy load of women’s roles after the departures of Ego Nwodim and Heidi Gardner.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

All departures from Georgia for Iran have been halted effective Monday, a spokesman for the Caucasus nation’s aviation authority said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Easyjet was the worst affected airline, with 47 of its 670 scheduled departures cancelled, while British Airways has seen 11 cancellations from its 513 scheduled departures.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

But for every one of those, there was one that spiraled into sniping and accusations, slammed doors and quick departures.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

• escape
• evacuation
• exit
• exodus
• flight
• passage
• removal
• retirement
• retreat
• separation
• takeoff
• walkout
• withdrawal