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.

---

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

---

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

Under-21 manager Silvio Baldini had taken over on a temporary basis following Gattuso's departure.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

On Monday, Cracker Barrel did not offer a reason for Masino’s departure.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

The full monthlong sequence was assembled into a time-lapse video showing the spacecraft's approach and departure.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

Burkina, Mali and Niger did so earlier in July, leading the ICC's executive body to voice concern that their departure undermined the global pursuit of justice.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

The first Saturday after the departure of the Señora, Shirley sat at the breakfast table hunched over the sports page of the Herald Tribune.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

The hires follow months of upheaval at the show, including the departures of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Scott Pelley.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Thursday’s report built on earlier worries of Gemini falling behind, as the lab experienced several high-profile departures last month.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026

The departures began in October, when Zach Seidl, Bass’ longtime deputy mayor of communications, left for the private sector.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

A frenzied push for artificial intelligence dominance comes with a different kind of cost for Meta, where massive layoffs, employee surveillance and departures have fueled reports of a heated internal climate.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Luma tried to cope with the departures as best she could.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Related Words

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