departure

noun

de·​par·​ture di-ˈpär-chər 

1

a(1)

: the act or an instance of departing

(2)

archaic : death

b

: a setting out (as on a new course)

2

: divergence sense 2

a departure from tradition

Synonyms

• departing
• exodus
• flight
• evacuation
• leave
• withdrawal
• going
• exiting
• parting
• exit

Examples of departure in a Sentence

What is your time of departure?

You should plan to arrive at the airport an hour before departure.

a schedule of arrivals and departures

The departures of several key employees have caused problems for the company.

her sudden departure from the company

The team has struggled since the departure of its head coach.

His previous movies have all been comedies, so this dramatic role is a real departure for him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hoever’s departure from the first-team picture was far from ordinary. —Steve Madeley, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025

The bus shelter was on a paved section of the airport departures area where people were being dropped off by taxis, friends, family. —Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025

McMullen’s departure has also come up in another lawsuit against Kroger. —Alexander Coolidge, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025

But Zuckerberg’s frenzied hiring spree hasn’t stopped the departures. —Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing departure

• departure/arrival time
• point of departure
• pre-departure

Rhymes for departure

• marcher

Kids Definition

departure

noun

de·​par·​ture di-ˈpär-chər 

1

: the act of going away

2

: a setting out (as on a new course)

3

: a change from a usual course or standard

a departure from tradition

Legal Definition

departure

noun

de·​par·​ture

: a failure to follow : a deviation from a course or standard

an upward departure from the sentencing guidelines