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

The passenger’s full route can be found here, though officials noted the departure and arrival times are estimates, as they reflect train and bus schedules.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

It is currently led by David Venturella, a former private prison executive, after Todd Lyon announced his departure from the top job in April.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

That would be a significant departure from the old playbook.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Nathan Calvin, a friend of Coxon’s and general counsel at Encode AI, advised Coxon on how to announce his departure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Mother assured him that was not going to happen, but still Father kept delaying our departure, until we were among the very last to leave.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

The 46-year-old referenced Ferguson and Arsene Wenger in his unveiling news conference, saying clubs "struggled a little bit" after the departures of long-serving managers.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

That has put the firm at a disadvantage to rivals that could pay top lawyers millions more, setting off a wave of departures that began with its star dealmaker Scott Barshay in 2016.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

But rebuilding after the recent departures is likely to require landing high-profile hires or, potentially, merging with a competitor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Heathrow said late Tuesday that departures had resumed, after the "technical issue" forced the airport to suspend arrivals.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

And though, over the years, his departures had become mundane, his father would always stand on the platform until the moment the train was out of sight.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

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