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.
-
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
-
departsimple
-
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
-
is departingprogressive
-
have been departingperfect progressive
-
has been departingperfect progressive
Past
-
departedsimple
-
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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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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:
It is followed by a route between Keswick and Liverpool before Wales hosts a third and final grand depart stage from Welshpool to Cardiff on 4 July.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
At 91-0, Ben Duckett top-edged a pull to depart for 45 and, crucially, Tom Banton was caught for 57 when he shovelled Arafat's long hop to mid-wicket.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 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
A few carefully placed words from Williams and Jefferson offered a way out, resetting expectations without requiring Warsh to depart from his own approach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
‘In the morning you must depart, for now we have chosen, and the tides of fate are flowing.’
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Both of these teams play an all-around, opportunistic version of the game that departs from the modern reliance on home runs versus swing-and-miss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Messi departs as the record appearance-maker and goal-scorer for Argentina but will continue his club career with Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 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
As Messi departs the international stage, words of criticism 10 years ago from the country's other legendary number 10 seem almost laughable.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
We all express thanks to our server, who offers a courteous nod before she departs.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
To achieve their new level of precision, the team departed from the conventional method of estimating primordial helium.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Then there was a rupture in the relationship and Musk departed, although they seem to have mended fences.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
“The FAA is aware of and looking into an incident involving a medical helicopter that departed from Catalina Island shortly before a different helicopter that crashed,” the agency said in a statement to The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Eswatini, which welcomed 32 deportees from the US, says three people - from Yemen, Belize and Laos - "voluntarily departed" to their home countries recently.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Edson departed as well, worn out by the previous two months of providing care.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
The union said most Royal Mail workers leaving the company were believed to be new starters on part-time contracts, but also said there had been an increase in staff on legacy contracts departing.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
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
At the trench assault in Indonesia, soldiers said their Stryker armored vehicle had been outfitted with a Starshield terminal—SpaceX’s military version of its Starlink satellite internet service—just days before departing for the drills.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 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 was Margie Burkhart, who had a brief, non-dancing role in the ballet, as the mother of one of the departing soldiers.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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