DEPARTURE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does departure mean? 

• DEPARTURE (noun)
  The noun DEPARTURE has 3 senses:

1. the act of departing

2. a variation that deviates from the standard or norm

3. euphemistic expressions for death

  Familiarity information: DEPARTURE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEPARTURE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of departing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

departure; going; going away; leaving

Hypernyms ("departure" is a kind of...):

act; deed; human action; human activity (something that people do or cause to happen)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "departure"):

breaking away (departing hastily)

farewell; leave; leave-taking; parting (the act of departing politely)

French leave (an abrupt and unannounced departure (without saying farewell))

disappearance; disappearing (the act of leaving secretly or without explanation)

withdrawal (the act of withdrawing)

sailing (the departure of a vessel from a port)

boarding; embarkation; embarkment (the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft)

exit (the act of going out)

despatch; dispatch; shipment (the act of sending off something)

takeoff (a departure; especially of airplanes)

Derivation:

depart (move away from a place into another direction)

depart (go away or leave)

depart (leave)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A variation that deviates from the standard or norm

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

departure; deviation; difference; divergence

Context example:

the deviation from the mean

Hypernyms ("departure" is a kind of...):

fluctuation; variation (an instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "departure"):

discrepancy; variance; variant (an event that departs from expectations)

driftage (the deviation (by a vessel or aircraft) from its intended course due to drifting)

flection; flexion; inflection (deviation from a straight or normal course)

Derivation:

depart (be at variance with; be out of line with)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Euphemistic expressions for death

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

departure; exit; expiration; going; loss; passing; release

Context example:

thousands mourned his passing

Hypernyms ("departure" is a kind of...):

death; decease; expiry (the event of dying or departure from life)

Domain usage:

euphemism (an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh)

Derivation:

depart (move away from a place into another direction)

depart (go away or leave)

depart (leave)

 Context examples 

Slowly the day passed, but when the darkness fell we were ready for our departure.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A departure or divergence from that which is considered normal.

(Disturbance, NCI Thesaurus)

"Meg, I wish you'd go and see the Hummels. You know Mother told us not to forget them." said Beth, ten days after Mrs. March's departure.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

One of these grand assemblies was held in my time, about three months before my departure, whither my master went as the representative of our district.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

In that case, that October 27 new moon may have triggered the moment when you chose to announce your departure from your old job so you could start your own business.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The Aurora's whistle hooted a final announcement of departure.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

My departure for Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

To the main point—the departure with me from England, the co-operation with me in my future labours—you do not object.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He moped after her departure from Holdernesse Hall, and it was for this reason that the Duke desired to send him to my establishment.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She entreated that there might be no more searching; but it was still sought for, in a desultory way, until she was quite well, and the company took their departure.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)