depart

verb

de·​part di-ˈpärt 

dē-

departed; departing; departs

intransitive verb

1

a

: to go away : leave

b

: die

2

: to turn aside : deviate

transitive verb

: to go away from : leave

Choose the Right Synonym for depart

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course.

swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

Examples of depart in a Sentence

The group is scheduled to depart tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.

Our flight departs at 6:15 a.m.

The train departed the station on time.

He is departing after 20 years with the company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Dobbins then spied an open backfield after Austin Ekeler departed the Chargers to sign with the Washington Commanders as a free agent. —Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024

The pair take over roles originally announced as being played by Lewis Pullman and Ariana DeBose, who have departed the project due to scheduling conflicts. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024

Now, the sun meets the skies quite early but departs just around when most of us get off work. —Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 4 Nov. 2024

The job opening follows the announcement earlier this year that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will depart from the team to drive for Ferrari. —Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to divide, part company, from Anglo-French departir, from de- + partir to divide, from Latin partire, from part-, pars part

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing depart

• depart this life

Kids Definition

depart

verb

de·​part di-ˈpärt 

1

a

: to go away or go away from : leave

b

: die entry 1 sense 1

2

: to turn aside : deviate

Legal Definition

depart

intransitive verb

de·​part

: to fail to follow : deviate from a course or standard

rather than sentencing petitioners to a term within the Guideline range, however, the District Court departed downward eight levels

—Koon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81 (1996)