divorced

divorced — adjective

1. A divorced person is someone who has ended their marriage through a formal legal

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A divorced person is someone who has ended their marriage through a formal legal process, so they are no longer married.

Example

Theo is divorced and shares custody of his son with his ex-wife.

be + divorced (state)

The application form had checkboxes for 'single', 'married', and 'divorced.'

divorced as a categorical label

Common collocations
  • divorced parents
  • divorced father
  • divorced mother
  • divorced woman
  • get divorced
  • be divorced
  • have been divorced for
Synonyms
  • separated

    less formal than divorced; describes living apart without legal dissolution of the marriage

  • estranged

    more formal and emotional; describes a loss of affection without necessarily being legally divorced

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + divorced

divorced + noun

Usage Note

Unlike 'separated', which describes a couple living apart without a legal end to the marriage, 'divorced' means the marriage has been formally dissolved by a court.

Common Mistakes

She is divorce.
She is divorced.
'divorce' is a noun or verb; the adjective form is 'divorced'.
My parents are divorced from 10 years.
My parents have been divorced for 10 years.
use 'have been' + 'for' to talk about duration, not the simple present.

2. not connected with or based on something, especially reality, facts, or people's

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

not connected with or based on something, especially reality, facts, or people's real needs

Example

The new policy seemed completely divorced from the needs of local communities.

divorced from the needs of [group]

Many students feel their coursework is divorced from the skills they actually need at work.

Common collocations
  • divorced from reality
  • divorced from the facts
  • divorced from people's needs
  • divorced from experience
  • completely divorced
  • entirely divorced
Synonyms
  • detached

    less strong than divorced; suggests emotional distance rather than fundamental disconnection

  • isolated

    focuses on being alone or cut off, not necessarily lacking a basis

  • estranged

    used for personal relationships; in figurative contexts it overlaps but sounds more emotional

Antonyms
  • connected to

    opposite — having a basis in or link to something

  • grounded in

    implies being firmly based on reality or facts

Grammar Patterns

be divorced from [something]

Usage Note

This sense almost always appears in the pattern 'divorced from + noun'. It is most common in formal or critical contexts — discussing policies, plans, arguments, or ideas that are out of touch with reality.

Common Mistakes

His ideas are divorced with reality.
His ideas are divorced from reality.
the correct preposition is 'from', not 'with'.
The report was divorced from the truth.' (when you mean it simply differed from the truth)
The report was divorced from the facts.
'divorced from' implies a complete lack of connection, not just a difference.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe people who are no longer together as a couple, but they differ in legal and emotional scope. 'Divorced' is the most precise legal term — it means the marriage has been formally ended by a court, and the person is free to remarry. 'Separated' is less formal and means the couple lives apart, often with the intention of divorcing later, but without a legal dissolution yet. 'Estranged' goes beyond marriage to describe any close relationship (spouses, siblings, parents and children) where affection or contact has been lost. You might say 'her estranged husband' while they are still legally married but living apart with no emotional bond. Use 'divorced' when the legal status is clear, 'separated' when the couple is apart but still married on paper, and 'estranged' to emphasise emotional distance in any relationship.

divorced ↗separatedestranged

Common collocations

Nouns

  • divorce rate
  • divorce settlement
  • divorce proceedings

Adverbs

  • recently divorced
  • newly divorced
  • long-divorced

Prepositions

  • divorced from

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'divortium' meaning 'a separation' — formed from 'divertere' (to turn aside). The word entered English through Old French 'divorce' in the 1300s. The adjective 'divorced' came into use in the 1500s to describe a person whose marriage had been dissolved. The figurative sense — describing ideas or policies 'divorced from' reality — developed in the early 1900s.