What does "depart" mean?
Division; separation, as of compound substances.
Depart
/dɪˈpɑːt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Division; separation, as of compound substances.
- Grammar: depart is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: deviate, digress, diverge, go away.
- Useful contrasts: alien land, approximate method, dry land being.
- Usage evidence: What time does the train for New York depart?
How to use "depart"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "depart" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "depart" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "depart" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "depart" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "depart" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "deviate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "depart", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Division; separation, as of compound substances. obsolete
- 2 A going away; departure. obsolete
"at my depart for France"
Verb
- 1 To leave. intransitive
"[…] he that hath no ſtomacke to this feaſt, Let him depart, […]"
- 2 move away from a place into another direction wordnet
- 3 To set out on a journey. intransitive
"And soo she receyued hym vpon suffysaunt seurte / so alle her hurtes were wel restored of al that she coude complayne / and thenne he departed vnto the Courte of kyne Arthur / and there openly the reed knyghte of the reed laundes putte hym in the mercy of syre Launcelot and syr Gawayne"
- 4 go away or leave wordnet
- 5 To die. euphemistic, intransitive
"[…] his Tongue, Sounds euer after as a ſullen Bell Remembred, knolling a departing Friend."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 depart for someplace wordnet
- 7 To disappear, vanish; to cease to exist. figuratively, intransitive
"For youth departs, and pleasure flies, And life consumes away,"
- 8 wander from a direct or straight course wordnet
- 9 To deviate (from), be different (from), fail to conform. intransitive
"His latest statements seemed to depart from party policy somewhat."
- 10 remove oneself from an association with or participation in wordnet
- 11 To go away from; to leave. transitive
"[...] he [...] did pray them only to do no thing against the honor of God, & rather to depart the territories of his empire, then to suffer their consciences to be forced."
- 12 be at variance with; be out of line with wordnet
- 13 To lose control of an aircraft; to "depart" (sense 5) from controlled flight (with the aircraft as the direct object) ambitransitive
"The envelope protection system allows the pilot to maneuver at high angles of attack without the risk of departing the airplane"
- 14 To divide up; to distribute, share. obsolete, transitive
"and so all the worlde seythe that betwyxte three knyghtes is departed clerely knyghthode, that is Sir Launcelot du Lake, Sir Trystrams de Lyones and Sir Lamerok de Galys—thes bere now the renowne."
- 15 To separate, part. obsolete, transitive
"Syr knyght[,] said the two squyers that were with her[,] yonder are two knyghtes that fyghte for thys lady, goo thyder and departe them[…]."
Antonyms
alien landapproximate methoddry land beingdutch land
Example
"What time does the train for New York depart?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "depart"?
Common synonyms include: deviate, digress, diverge, go away, leave, quit.
How do you use "depart" in a sentence?
What time does the train for New York depart?
How do you pronounce "depart"?
Pronounced /dɪˈpɑːt/.
Etymology
From Old French departir, from Late Latin departiō (“to divide”), from dē- (“away from”) + partiō (“part, divide”).