depart
Americanverb (used without object)
-
departs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
departed,
past participle, past
-
departing
present participle
-
to go away; leave.
She departed from Paris today. The train departs at 10:52.
- Antonyms:
- arrive
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to diverge or deviate (usually followed byfrom ).
The new method departs from the old in several respects.
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to pass away, as from life or existence; die.
verb (used with object)
-
departs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
departed,
past participle, past
-
departing
present participle
noun
verb
-
to go away; leave
-
to start out; set forth
-
(usually foll by from) to deviate; differ; vary
to depart from normal procedure
-
(tr) to quit (archaic, except in the phrase depart this life )
Synonym Usage
Depart, retire, retreat, withdraw imply leaving a place. Depart is a somewhat literary word for going away from a place: to depart on a journey. Retire emphasizes absenting oneself or drawing back from a place: to retire from a position in battle. Retreat implies a necessary withdrawal, especially as a result of adverse fortune in war: to retreat to secondary lines of defense. Withdraw suggests leaving some specific place or situation, usually for some definite and often unpleasant reason: to withdraw from a hopeless task.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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departsimple
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departssimple
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have departedperfect
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has departedperfect
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am departingprogressive
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are departingprogressive
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is departingprogressive
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have been departingperfect progressive
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has been departingperfect progressive
Past
-
departedsimple
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had departedperfect
-
was departingprogressive
-
were departingprogressive
-
had been departingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of depart
1175–1225; Middle English departen < Old French departir, equivalent to de- de- + partir to go away; see part ( v. )
Explanation
To depart is to go away or to choose a different direction. If you are catching a plane, you are soon to depart. And, if you are wearing a kilt instead of jeans, you depart from your usual look. Airports and train stations have gates for arrivals and departures. Airplanes and people coming in "arrive" while those going out depart. You also can depart without going anywhere, as when you change your mind and depart from an earlier decision. To "depart from the norm" is an expression for doing something different than expected, like giggling during a tear-jerker of a movie.
Vocabulary lists containing depart
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 8
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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.
See Examples For:
But the movie and musical depart from the story in similar ways.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
The cruise will depart from the Port of Miami and will feature a Banana Ball game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
"Like nearly every club in in the world, at some point players choose to leave or depart a football club. That's just a natural cycle."
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
She was detained by the FBI at Los Angeles International Airport "attempting to depart for China" on Sunday, he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
For instance, Genesis 49:10 states, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah...until Shiloh come.”
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Normally, she hosts a massive sail-away party on the main deck the day the ship departs, with line dances and games.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
We speak to him before the bus departs to avoid breaking the law.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Andrew Tulloch departs Meta less than a year after he was offered a billion-dollar pay package.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Compagno’s chair on “Outnumbered” will have guest co-hosts after she departs the program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
They converse for a moment, then Taryn departs.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
To achieve their new level of precision, the team departed from the conventional method of estimating primordial helium.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
As the unquestioned leader of the Lakers now that LeBron James has departed to Philadelphia, Doncic organized the trip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Then there was a rupture in the relationship and Musk departed, although they seem to have mended fences.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
They departed at 7 a.m. on Aug. 17, carrying only two light backpacks with their computers, jewelry, some clothes and a little food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Like the apartment owners, the corporation had departed, evidently for good.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Instead they plan to invest at a higher rate and build their net worth outside of a primary residence, departing from the established path to wealth in the U.S.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
The first died less than 10 minutes after departing the boat ramp: One moment, barreling along at full chat; the next, suddenly quiet, sloshing to a halt in the middle of the foggy channel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
The department learned the people had been on a helicopter departing the island for the mainland and that there were actually five people involved, Torres said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
It reported that 267 departing flights were delayed today, while a further 257 flights destined for Newark were also delayed.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
I suspected she felt bad about departing: If she hadn’t had a dinner date with my aunt, she would have stayed.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
