departure

noun

de·​par·​ture di-ˈpär-chər How to pronounce departure (audio)
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

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 His departure from the House before the end of his term will shake up the chamber’s partisan breakdown, where Republicans have only a very narrow majority. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Kassan tells a different story about his departure from UTA. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 O’Dell’s departure leaves more reps for the others, who will not necessarily continue to get their opportunity in the same order. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 Despite his departure from school, the athlete completed his degree in May 2022 in part with his kids in mind. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Her departure leaves a high-profile vacancy as the city’s more than 98,000 traditional public and charter schoolchildren continue to weather the academic, social and emotional fallout of the coronavirus. Lauren Lumpkin, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024 That is a departure from recent years, which saw nearly a dozen experienced production, artistic and management staffers quietly released. David Lyman, The Enquirer, 11 Mar. 2024 Berk’s initial statement made no mention of being fired, which is how France characterized the departure in his post today. Meredith Woerner, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 With Haley's departure from the race, a general election rematch between Trump and Biden appears all but official. Jeongyoon Han, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'departure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of departure was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near departure

Cite this Entry

“Departure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/departure. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

departure

noun
de·​par·​ture di-ˈpär-chər How to pronounce departure (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on departure

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