Departed
/dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo go away or leave, especially to start a journey or from a specific place.
/dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/
To leave, go away, or set out.
The plane departed for London on time.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're saying goodbye and leaving a place. When you're leaving, you're departing! Like, 'We departed from the airport at noon.'
👶 For kids: When you depart, it means you're leaving to go somewhere else!
More Examples
We departed from the hotel early in the morning.
The guests departed after the wedding reception.
How It's Used
"The train departed from platform 3."
"She departed after the party ended."
To die or pass away; often used euphemistically or in a formal context.
/dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/
To die; to pass away.
We held a memorial service for the departed.
💡 Simply: When someone departs, it can also mean they passed away. It’s a more gentle way to say someone died, like, 'We will always cherish memories of the departed.'
👶 For kids: Sometimes 'departed' means someone is not with us anymore. It means they've gone away, like they went to sleep forever.
More Examples
The departed are always in our hearts.
The family mourned the passing of their departed father.
How It's Used
"The departed loved ones are always remembered."
"Pray for the souls of the departed."
Idioms & expressions
depart from
To deviate from something, to change or move away from.
"The new CEO departed from the old management style."
From Middle English departen, from Old French departir ('to divide, separate, leave'), from Latin dispartire ('to divide in two'), from dis- ('apart, away') + partire ('to share, divide').
Historically, 'depart' has been used with the same core meaning since the Middle Ages, originally used in the context of splitting or dividing. Its usage expanded to include leaving or going away.
Memory tip
Think of the word 'depart' as separating from a place or group.