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
-
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:
In the researchers' mathematical framework, such changes can cause the behavior of an expanding universe to depart from the predictions of the standard Friedmann model.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 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
Three days before he was to depart, he was arrested by the FBI and charged with trying to record secret conversations within his latest employer, OpenAI, which fired him that day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The two young men were staying at the Leaky Cauldron in London, preparing to depart for Greece the following morning, when an owl arrived bearing news of Dumbledore’s mother’s death.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
CNN chairman Mark Thompson described her as "one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere" and said the network will take time to celebrate her "before she departs next year".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 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 Creative Director Ib Kamara departs Off-White, what’s going on at the luxury streetwear label?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Compagno’s chair on “Outnumbered” will have guest co-hosts after she departs the program.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Then she deposits Marlena on her head and departs the big top to the cheers of an adoring crowd.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Both trains had departed Madrid's Atocha station bound for the southern city of Seville -- the Iryo train at 7:54 and Renfe's six minutes later.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
The flight then departed shortly after midnight, with two pilots on board and a flight attendant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
It departed Belfast in October 2024 for a "continuous voyage around the world".
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
This afternoon was mostly about arranging rides, which departed Springfield every weekday morning.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
The circus is preparing for a stretch near London, having recently departed Dublin, so there are a handful of performers present.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Weil also repays departing partners, who own a share of the firm, their equity over a number of years, according to people familiar with the matter, easing some immediate financial pressure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
At Belfast City Airport, flights departing to Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and Kirkwall on Sunday morning have been cancelled.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
Record £65m signing Jackson came to replace the departing Ollie Watkins after his £50m switch to Al-Hilal.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 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
Grandpa smiles into the camera and gestures to Grandma’s departing form.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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