Meaning & use
departure
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of leaving a place, especially at the start of a journey.
Grammar: Can be countable (a departure) or uncountable (departure time).
Patterns
- departure from
- departure time
- a departure for
The departure of the train was delayed by snow.
Her sudden departure from the party surprised everyone.
Please check the departure time on your ticket.
nouncountable
A change from what is usual or expected.
Grammar: Often followed by 'from': a departure from tradition.
Patterns
- a departure from something
The new design is a departure from the company's traditional style.
His behavior was a departure from his usual calm manner.
Word forms
| plural | departures |
|---|
Common combinations
- departure time
- The departure time is listed on the board.
- departure from
- This policy is a departure from previous practice.
- point of departure
- Let's use this idea as our point of departure.
- sudden departure
- His sudden departure left many questions unanswered.
- departure lounge
- We waited in the departure lounge for our flight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exit
- Focuses on the act of going out; often used for leaving a building or stage, not for starting a journey.
- leaving
- More general and informal; departure is more formal and often used in travel contexts.
Opposites
Word family
- depart verb
- To leave, especially on a journey.
Practice
The flight's _____ was delayed because of bad weather.
Choose one answer.
'Departure' is the noun needed here. 'Depart' is a verb, 'departing' is a participle, and 'departure from' would require an object after it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “departure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.