depart

verb

de·​part di-ˈpärt How to pronounce depart (audio)
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

Example Sentences

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 All three are scheduled to depart for Taiwan to play for Team Italy. The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2023 After the discovery, agents responded to the gate Clouden's flight was scheduled to depart from. Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2023 Secretary of State Antony Blinken called off a trip to China on Friday, just hours before he was scheduled to depart, because of the balloon incursion. John Hudson, Ellen Nakashima And Dan Lamothe, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Feb. 2023 Secretary of State Antony Blinken called off a trip to China on Friday, just hours before he was scheduled to depart, because of the balloon incursion. John Hudson, Ellen Nakashima And Dan Lamothe, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Feb. 2023 Secretary of State Antony Blinken called off a trip to China on Friday, just hours before he was scheduled to depart, because of the balloon incursion. Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2023 The FedEx plane was attempting to land on the same runway the Southwest Airlines flight was scheduled to depart from before the FedEx flight aborted its landing. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2023 Downeaster Train 689, which is scheduled to depart Boston North Station (BON) on 1/24, has been canceled due to severe weather conditions. Kate Armanini, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Jan. 2023 As evidence, prosecutors cited Holmes’ purchase of a one-way ticket to Mexico that was scheduled to depart in late January 2022, three weeks after she was convicted. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depart.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of depart was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near depart

Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depart. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

depart

verb
de·​part di-ˈpärt How to pronounce depart (audio)
1
a
: to go away or go away from : leave
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 levelsKoon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81 (1996)

More from Merriam-Webster on depart

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