disembark
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to go ashore from a ship.
-
to leave an aircraft or other vehicle.
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disembark
1575–85; < Middle French desembarquer, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + embarquer to embark
Explanation
Use the verb disembark to describe leaving a ship, airplane or other type of vehicle, like making sure you haven't left anything in the plane's overhead compartment before you disembark. Embark means "putting passengers in a plane or on a boat." Disembark is its opposite. When you disembark, you leave a ship or a plane, like when you can't wait to disembark at the port in order to go sight-seeing. When you disembark, there is a transition — you walk down a gangplank to go from water to land or down a special corridor to get from the runway to the airport terminal — unlike when you get out of a car. That's why you wouldn't use disembark for getting out of a car.
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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.
Local authorities in Bordeaux said three passengers had been isolated in their cabins on the Ambition, while other passengers will not be able to disembark in the port.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Thirty people, including the deceased passenger, disembark in St. Helena.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
A cruise ship with a fatal hantavirus outbreak is set to head toward Spain’s Canary Islands, where health officials plan to inspect the vessel and the passengers before allowing anyone to disembark.
From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026
The Cape Verde authorities have said the passengers will not be allowed to disembark in the island country.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
The streets had become so congested that the city issued an emergency decree to suspend the trolley service until after the parade because there was no room for the passengers to disembark downtown.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
