departure

departure — noun

1. the moment or act of a person, vehicle, or group going away from a place where t

1.nounA2
Definition

the moment or act of a person, vehicle, or group going away from a place where they have been

Example

The train departure was delayed by twenty minutes because of the thick fog.

collocation: departure delayed

Xiu waved goodbye to her family before her departure for the airport.

departure + for + destination

Common collocations
  • scheduled departure
  • departure time
  • departure gate
  • departure lounge
  • departure from
  • departure for
Synonyms
  • exit

    more general; can mean a way out, not just the act of leaving

  • leave-taking

    formal or literary; emphasises the farewell ritual

  • exodus

    refers to a large group leaving at once

Antonyms
  • arrival

    the act of reaching or coming to a place

Grammar Patterns

departure + from + [place]

departure + for + [destination]

departure + of + [vehicle/person]

Common Mistakes

When is your departure from the office?' (too formal for everyday talk)
What time are you leaving the office?
departure sounds stiff in casual conversation; use the verb 'leave' instead.
I have a departure at 8am.
My departure is at 8am.' or 'I depart at 8am.
do not use 'have a departure'; the noun pairs with 'is' or 'takes place.'

2. the situation when someone stops working for an employer or steps down from a ro

2.nounB2
Definition

the situation when someone stops working for an employer or steps down from a role, often happening sooner than expected

Example

The manager announced her departure from the company after five years of service.

departure + from + [organisation]

Rin's departure from the government led to a wave of media coverage.

Common collocations
  • sudden departure
  • departure from
  • announced departure
  • departure of
Synonyms
  • resignation

    formal act of giving up a job, often with notice

  • quitting

    informal; leaving without ceremony

  • retirement

    planned departure at the end of a career

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

departure + from + [organisation/position]

Usage Note

Typically implies an unexpected or early exit from a role, unlike 'retirement' which suggests a planned end of one's career.

Common Mistakes

She made a quick departure from the company.
She left the company quickly.
'made a departure' is wordy; the verb 'leave' is simpler and more natural in most contexts.

3. a deliberate move away from a normal pattern, rule, or tradition — for example,

3.nounB2
Definition

a deliberate move away from a normal pattern, rule, or tradition — for example, a restaurant choosing to serve dishes from a different culture, or a musician trying a style they have not played before

Example

The new album was a departure from the band's usual rock style.

a departure from + [norm]

For a Chinese restaurant, serving pasta was an unusual departure from tradition.

Common collocations
  • a departure from
  • major departure
  • radical departure
  • complete departure
  • marked departure
Synonyms
  • deviation

    suggests a break from a standard or rule, often with a negative tone

  • divergence

    more neutral or technical; two things move apart

  • shift

    implies a gradual change in direction or approach

Antonyms
  • conformity

    behaviour that follows accepted rules or customs

  • adherence

    sticking firmly to a plan, rule, or tradition

Grammar Patterns

a departure + from + [norm/tradition/expectation]

Usage Note

Often followed by 'from' to specify what is being changed or abandoned. The adjective 'radical' is a frequent modifier: 'a radical departure from.'

Common Mistakes

This is a big departure of our usual policy.
This is a big departure from our usual policy.
the preposition is 'from', not 'of.'

4. a gentle, indirect way of referring to someone's death, used in formal or religi

4.nounC1
Definition

a gentle, indirect way of referring to someone's death, used in formal or religious language

Example

We received news of his departure from this world last Tuesday.

departure from this world

The entire community mourned the departure of a beloved teacher.

Common collocations
  • departure from this world
  • peaceful departure
  • quiet departure
  • sudden departure
Synonyms
  • passing

    the most common euphemism for death; less formal than departure

  • demise

    formal or legal term; often used in official announcements

Grammar Patterns

departure + from + this world/life

someone's + departure

Usage Note

A formal and euphemistic expression; considered inappropriate in direct medical or legal contexts where 'died' or 'death' is the expected term.

Common Mistakes

My goldfish had a departure.
My goldfish died.
departure as a euphemism for death sounds odd for pets or trivial subjects; reserve it for formal tributes or religious contexts.
Idioms

a point of departure

idiom

An idea or place that is used as the starting point for something.

The professor used the ancient text as a point of departure for his lecture.

Did the team choose the old bridge as their point of departure for the hike?

Word family

  • depart
    verbB1
  • departed
    adjectiveC1
  • departing
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Departure is the most general word for the act of leaving a place, used in both everyday and formal contexts. Exit often suggests leaving through a specific way out (a door, a stage, or a highway) and also applies to leaving a role or situation — 'the actor made a graceful exit.' Leave-taking is a literary term that focuses on the farewell ritual rather than the departure itself. Exodus specifically describes a large group of people leaving at the same time — 'there was a mass exodus from the stadium after the match.' Withdrawal implies a deliberate or strategic pulling back from a place or activity, often used in military or political contexts — 'the troops completed their withdrawal from the region.' Choosing among them depends on scale, formality, and whether the focus is on the action, the farewell, or the group involved.

exit ↗leave-takingexoduswithdrawal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • point of departure
  • time of departure
  • date of departure

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Departure comes from Old French 'departure', based on 'departir' (to separate, divide, or go away). That word traces back to Latin 'dispertire', a combination of 'dis-' (apart) and 'partire' (to share or divide). The original idea was of dividing or separating from something — over time, this separation shifted from a general sense of 'parting' to the specific act of leaving a place.