depart
gb/dɪpˈɑɹt/ us/dɪpˈɑɹt/
A2
English
~ 3500
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Leave a place
To go away from a place, often to travel to another place.
Usage pattern:
to depart [from a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'depart' with 'start' when talking about events; 'depart' is specifically about leaving a place.
Synonyms
leave (More general and common; can refer to any act of going away.)
|
set off (Informal; often used for starting a journey.)
Antonyms
arrive (Opposite action of reaching a place instead of leaving it.)
Collocations
depart from the airport
|depart on time
|depart for
|depart at [time]
|depart from the station
Themes
travel
|transport
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The train will depart from platform 3 at noon.
- She departed for Paris early in the morning.
- Flights to New York depart every hour.
- We departed from the hotel at sunrise.
- The bus departs at exactly 8:15 a.m.
Learner examples
- The bus departs at 10 a.m.
- We will depart from the city tomorrow.
- The train departs from this station.
- They will depart for London soon.
Verb
formal
B2
action
2
Deviate from a way or rule
To do something differently from what is usual or expected.
Usage pattern:
to depart from [a rule/plan/tradition]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with physically leaving; here it means changing from what is normal or expected.
Synonyms
deviate (More technical or formal; often used in academic or policy contexts.)
Antonyms
adhere to (Means to follow closely, the opposite of departing from something.)
Collocations
depart from tradition
|depart from the plan
|depart from normal practice
Themes
rules
|behavior
|business
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The new design departs from the company's usual style.
- He rarely departs from his daily routine.
- This policy departs from established guidelines.
- Her speech departed from the prepared script.
Learner examples
- He departed from the plan.
- The chef departed from the recipe.
- She departed from her usual way of speaking.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
Die or pass away
To die (formal).
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is formal and euphemistic; not common in everyday casual talk.
Synonyms
pass away (Euphemistic and softer in tone.)
Antonyms
be born (Opposite life event of coming into existence.)
Collocations
depart this life
Themes
life events
|health
Examples
- He departed peacefully in his sleep.
- Many great leaders have departed before seeing their dreams fulfilled.
- She has departed this life after a long illness.
Learner examples
- Her grandfather departed last year.
- The old king departed after many years.
- He departed in his sleep.
Grammar
Dictionary form
depart
IPA
GB/dɪpˈɑɹt/
US/dɪpˈɑɹt/
Syllables & stress
de - part (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (part)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: depart
- 3rd Person Singular: departs
- Present Participle: departing
- Past: departed
Word family
Forms
departs
verb
departing
verb
departed
verb
Core family
departure
noun B1
Expressions
depart from the norm
1/dɪpˈɑɹt fɹˈʌm ðə nˈɔɹm/
fixed phrase
Do something different than usual
To do something in a different way than is normal or expected.
Examples
- This style of cooking departs from the norm in the region.
- Her bold colors depart from the norm in fashion design.
depart this life
1/dɪpˈɑɹt ðˈɪs lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
formal
Die (formal)
To die (formal).
Examples
- He departed this life surrounded by family.
- Many soldiers departed this life on the battlefield.