departures
departures — noun
- departuressingular
- departuresesplural
1. the act of moving away from a particular location, especially as part of a sched
the act of moving away from a particular location, especially as part of a scheduled journey or trip.
Sivan checked the departures screen at Heathrow to find her boarding gate.
departures screen — common airport collocation
The departures board showed that the 7:15 train to Bristol was running on time.
departures board — travel information collocation
Early morning departures from Tokyo's main station tend to be quieter than evening ones.
Niran walked through the departures lounge looking for a power socket near his seat.
- leave-taking
more formal and literary; used in ceremonial contexts
- exit
emphasises the act of going out rather than the journey aspect
- egress
very formal; technical term for the act of leaving a building or space
- arrival
the act of reaching a destination rather than leaving one
文法句型
departure + from (a place)
departure + of (a vehicle or person)
用法筆記
In travel contexts, the plural 'departures' is more common than the singular, especially in signs, boards, and announcements at airports and railway stations.
常見錯誤
2. the situation when someone stops working for an employer or leaves an official p
the situation when someone stops working for an employer or leaves an official position.
The sudden departure of the finance director surprised everyone in the office.
sudden departure — common collocation for resignation or dismissal
After twelve years at the hospital, Marta announced her departure last Friday.
The company offered financial packages to encourage voluntary departures during the restructuring.
Rania's departure from the marketing team created a gap in the advertising division.
- resignation
specifically means the person chose to leave, often by submitting a formal letter
- retirement
leaving work permanently at the end of a career, not for a different job
- exit
less formal; sometimes used in business contexts for leaving a role
- appointment
the act of giving someone a job or position
- hiring
the process of bringing someone into a role
文法句型
departure + of (a person)
departure + from (an organisation)
常見錯誤
3. the fact of being noticeably different from what was usual, expected, or convent
the fact of being noticeably different from what was usual, expected, or conventional in a particular setting or area of activity.
The director's latest film was a radical departure from her earlier romantic comedies.
radical departure — strong adjective collocation
Aylin's decision to travel alone was a departure from her family's usual traditions.
departure from + tradition/expectation
The school's new uniform policy marked a significant departure from the old dress code.
Chidi's minimalist novel represented a clear departure from his earlier descriptive style.
- deviation
stronger negative connotation; suggests something has moved away from a correct standard
- divergence
emphasises two paths moving apart from each other
- shift
suggests a gradual change rather than a single break
- continuation
carrying on in the same way without change
- conformity
behaving in the usual or expected way
文法句型
departure + from + noun phrase
用法筆記
This is the only sense of 'departure' that is always followed by 'from'. The adjective before it is typically evaluative, such as 'radical', 'significant', 'marked', or 'complete'.
常見錯誤
4. a gentle or indirect way of referring to someone's death, used in formal, respec
a gentle or indirect way of referring to someone's death, used in formal, respectful, or religious contexts.
The local paper announced the peaceful departure of the mayor after a long illness.
peaceful departure — euphemistic collocation for a calm death
Friends gathered at the church to honour Camille's grandfather after his sudden departure.
sudden departure — euphemism for unexpected death
The letter informed relatives of the sad departure of their elderly aunt in her sleep.
Padma's quiet departure at the age of ninety-two was mourned by the entire village.
文法句型
departure + of (a person)
possessive + departure
用法筆記
Use with care in learner writing. Outside of obituaries and formal condolences, this euphemism can sound old-fashioned or overly indirect to some English speakers. The simpler word 'death' is neutral and widely preferred in everyday speech.