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

Synonyms

• bail
• bail out
• begone
• book [slang]
• bug off
• bug out
• bugger off [British slang]
• buzz (off)
• clear off [chiefly British]
• clear out
• cut out
• dig out
• exit
• get
• get off
• go
• go off
• move
• pack (up or off)
• part
• peel off
• pike (out or off)
• pull out
• push off
• push on
• quit
• run along
• sally (forth)
• scarper [British]
• shove (off)
• step (along)
• take off
• vamoose
• walk out

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

This blunt attribution departs from the more generalized threat descriptions of previous administrations. —Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025

President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House on June 6 in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House on June 6 in Washington, D.C. —Sonam Sheth hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025

On Wednesday, clear weather allowed two rangers to depart Talkeetna, a village south of the mountain, in a helicopter search for Chiu. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025

The King was also spotted with what appeared to be a friendship bracelet in July 2024, when he was seen wearing a red and yellow string bracelet on his wrist after departing the State Opening of Parliament with Queen Camilla. —Greta Bjornson, People.com, 6 June 2025

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

Rhymes for depart

• apart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart
• art

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)