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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Michaelson, who departed Fox’s Los Angeles affiliate last summer, makes the case for a West Coast-centric show. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025 The full Interconnect Tour departs from Deer Valley Resort in Park City, leading skiers on a traverse along the Wasatch Mountain range with visits to Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Brighton, Alta, and Snowbird. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025 According to the Daily Mail, Emily Robinson, the couple’s director of communications, is departing after only four months in the role. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2025 Several of the team's talented players will depart for the NFL after this season, likely leaving Drinkwitz to rebuild the program to prominence. Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for depart

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depart. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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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