point of departure
Americannoun
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Nautical. the precise location of a vessel, established in order to set a course, especially in beginning a voyage in open water.
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a place to begin, as in a discussion, argument, etc.
Etymology
Origin of point of departure
First recorded in 1855–60
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.
One final point of departure for Papic: he disagrees vehemently with the notion that the intervention in Venezuela is bearish for oil prices.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 13, 2026
Let’s finally acknowledge how much we don’t know, and from that new point of departure, do everything we can to save our home.
From Salon • May 1, 2025
This comes back to Brooks’s original point of departure: the act of decomposing, or a whale fall.
From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024
In January, a 737 Max 9 was forced to return to its point of departure in Portland, Oregon, making an emergency landing after a door panel blew out in mid-air.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2024
The station was similar to their point of departure.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
