Meaning & use

divorce

noun·Everyday

The legal ending of a marriage by a court or other recognized authority.

See it in a sentence

After years of unhappiness, they finally decided to file for divorce.

The divorce was finalized after months of negotiating over custody and property.

A note on using this word

As a verb, to divorce someone means to legally end a marriage with them, as in she divorced her husband.

Words with a similar meaning

separation

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

marriage

Another way to use it

2. verb

To legally end a marriage, or to separate one thing completely from another.

The new policy divorces pay increases from length of service alone.

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