divorce

[ dih-vawrs ]
See synonyms for: divorcedivorced on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a judicial declaration dissolving a marriage in whole or in part, especially one that releases the marriage partners from all matrimonial obligations.: Compare judicial separation.

  2. any formal separation of spouses according to established custom.

  1. total separation; disunion: a divorce between thought and action.

verb (used with object),di·vorced, di·vorc·ing.
  1. to break the marriage contract between oneself and (one's spouse) by divorce: She divorced her husband.

  2. to separate by divorce: The judge divorced the couple.

  1. to separate; cut off: Life and art cannot be divorced.

verb (used without object),di·vorced, di·vorc·ing.
  1. to get a divorce.

Origin of divorce

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin dīvortium “separation,” equivalent to dīvort(ere), variant of dīvertere “to turn away” + -ium noun suffix; see divert, -ium

Other words for divorce

Other words from divorce

  • di·vorce·a·ble, adjective
  • di·vorc·er, noun
  • di·vor·cive, adjective
  • non·di·vorced, adjective
  • un·di·vorce·a·ble, adjective
  • un·di·vorced, adjective

Words Nearby divorce

Other definitions for divorcé (2 of 2)

divorcé
[ dih-vawr-sey, -vohr-, -vawr-sey, -vohr- ]

noun
  1. a divorced man.

Origin of divorcé

2
First recorded in 1805–15; from French, noun use of masculine past participle of divorcer, from Medieval Latin dīvortiāre “to divorce,” derivative of Latin dīvortium “separation”; see divorce

usage note For divorcé

See fiancée.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use divorce in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for divorce (1 of 2)

divorce

/ (dɪˈvɔːs) /


noun
  1. the dissolution of a marriage by judgment of a court or by accepted custom

  2. a judicial decree declaring a marriage to be dissolved

  1. a separation, esp one that is total or complete

verb
  1. to separate or be separated by divorce; give or obtain a divorce (to a couple or from one's spouse)

  2. (tr) to remove or separate, esp completely

Origin of divorce

1
C14: from Old French, from Latin dīvortium from dīvertere to separate; see divert

Derived forms of divorce

  • divorceable, adjective
  • divorcer, noun
  • divorcive, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for divorcé (2 of 2)

divorcé

/ (dɪˈvɔːseɪ) /


noun
  1. a man who has been divorced

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