parting

1 of 2

noun

part·​ing ˈpär-tiŋ How to pronounce parting (audio)
: a place or point where a division or separation occurs

parting

2 of 2

adjective

: given, taken, or done at parting
a parting kiss
Phrases
parting of the ways
1
: a point of separation or divergence
2
: a place or time at which a choice must be made

Examples of parting in a Sentence

Noun I feared the morning, for I knew that our parting would be difficult. On parting, he took my hand and promised to return. “Good-night, good-night! Parting is such sweet sorrow…” Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet the parting of the Red Sea Adjective His parting words to me were “Be patient.” As her parting shot, she said that the other candidate simply did not understand the needs of the city's citizens. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This is one parting gift Stanford won’t soon forget. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2023 Ciara also sported layered silver jewelry and gold wrist bangles, while her hair was styled into a middle parting. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2023 Those friends went home with hardly any parting gifts. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 30 July 2023 Tyler Bertuzzi and the Bruins both had no choice but to move quickly in the market, and the result was a parting of ways. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 3 July 2023 And as a parting gift, Modi will likely leave the United States having secured a long-coveted deal for General Electric to share technology and jointly produce military jet engines with India. Sumit Ganguly, Foreign Affairs, 20 June 2023 Then, as if to prove her bona fides, Li took a palm leaf and effortlessly wove it into a basket, and packed the leftover food for Freeman to take home with her, as a parting gift. Oscar Schwartz, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2023 His career to be remembered perhaps best for his ability to always be in the right place at the right time, then making the right play time and time again, Bergeron’s parting always portended to be difficult for Bruins fans to imagine and harder to accept. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023 Swept into a side parting, her long chocolate locks were styled in unfinished, tousled waves, showing that salty hair can work just as well for evenings in the city as afternoons in the surf. Tish Weinstock, Vogue, 13 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parting.' 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

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1562, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near parting

Cite this Entry

“Parting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parting. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

parting

1 of 2 noun
part·​ing ˈpärt-iŋ How to pronounce parting (audio)
1
2
: a place where a division or separation occurs
a parting of the ways
3
: leave-taking
shake hands at parting

parting

2 of 2 adjective
1
: being in the process of departing
2
: serving to divide : separating
3
: given, taken, or performed at parting
a parting kiss

More from Merriam-Webster on parting

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