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Synonyms

departure

American  
[dih-pahr-cher] / dɪˈpɑr tʃər /

noun

  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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nondeparture noun
  • predeparture noun

Etymology

Origin of departure

1375–1425; late Middle English < Old French departëure; compare Anglo-French departir (noun use of infinitive). See depart, -ure

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.

CAF stripped Senegal of its title on March 17, over the team's angry departure from the pitch after a penalty was awarded to Morocco late in second-half stoppage time.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

But hours later, Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social, saying that her new private sector role would be "announced at a date in the near future".

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Davis was found to have maintained financial ties to the collective impact after her departure to the commission.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

The one big exception: if changes are made to the ticket after booking, like shifting the date or the time of departure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

As I was taking my departure, he asked me if I would like to devote five minutes to seeing Mr. Jaggers “at it?”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

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.