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.

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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

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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

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

Newcastle's midfield has been weakened by the departure of Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham this month in a deal worth up to £100m.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The place where they land will then become part of the web and serve as a point of departure for further leaps.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

More “SNL” departures are expected ahead of the show’s 52nd season this fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 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 analyst also drew attention to an ongoing “talent war” at SaaS companies, noting that Salesforce “has recently seen a steady cadence of senior departures to AI-native companies.”

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

An industry group, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, recommended that new rules give firms “qualified immunity” against employee challenges to how their departures are described on their employment record.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

But for every one of those, there was one that spiraled into sniping and accusations, slammed doors and quick departures.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Related Words

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