divorce
/dɪˈvɔːs/ (bre, ipa) · [dɪvˈɔrs] /dɪˈvɔːrs/ (ame, ipa) · [dɪvˈɔrs] /də-ˈvȯrs also dī-/ (ame, mw)
divorce — noun
- divorcesingular
- divorcesplural
1. a legal procedure that officially ends a marriage between two people
a legal procedure that officially ends a marriage between two people
After twenty years of marriage, Layla and her husband decided to file for divorce.
file for divorce — legal collocation
The divorce rate in Japan has been rising steadily since the 1990s.
Christopher's divorce was finalized by the family court last month.
Many couples try marriage counseling before they decide on a divorce.
Divorce can be a long and painful process when young children are involved.
- dissolution
more formal and technical, often used in legal documents
- split-up
informal, used mainly in everyday conversation
- annulment
a different legal procedure that declares the marriage invalid from the start
- marriage
the legal union that divorce ends
文法句型
divorce (uncountable, general concept)
a divorce (countable, specific case)
file for divorce
get a divorce
用法筆記
Countable when referring to a specific legal case ('get a divorce'); uncountable when speaking about the general concept ('divorce is common these days').
常見錯誤
2. a situation in which two things or groups that were once closely connected drift
a situation in which two things or groups that were once closely connected drift apart or become separated from each other
The report highlights a dangerous divorce between scientific research and public trust.
divorce between X and Y — figurative pattern
There is a growing divorce between what politicians promise and what they actually deliver.
Kasia argued that the divorce of economic policy from social welfare harms the poorest families.
The novel explores the painful divorce between tradition and modernity in rural Taiwan.
- connection
the link that divorce breaks
- unity
the state of being joined that divorce ends
文法句型
divorce between X and Y
用法筆記
Used in formal or analytical writing. Common in the pattern 'divorce between X and Y', where X and Y are abstract nouns that were formerly connected.
常見錯誤
3. an unmarried man whose previous marriage was terminated by a legal divorce
an unmarried man whose previous marriage was terminated by a legal divorce
The new tenant in apartment 3B is a divorce in his late sixties.
Her uncle was a divorce who lived alone with his dog in rural Wisconsin.
In the film, a lonely divorce travels across Europe to visit his adult children.
The novel follows a retired divorce starting a new life in a coastal town.
- divorcé
the French loanword with an accent, considered more refined and less dated
- divorced man
the modern, neutral way to express this meaning
- married man
a man who is currently in a marriage
文法句型
a divorce
用法筆記
This sense is somewhat dated. In everyday modern English, 'a divorced man' or simply describing the person's marital status with the adjective 'divorced' is much more natural. Some speakers may consider 'a divorce' (sense 3) old-fashioned or awkward.
常見錯誤
divorce — verb
- divorcepresent simple I / you / we / they
- divorces3rd person singular
- divorcing-ing form
- divorcedpast simple
1. to end a marriage through a legal process, so that two people are no longer husb
to end a marriage through a legal process, so that two people are no longer husband and wife
Soraya divorced her first husband when she was twenty-eight years old.
transitive: divorce + person
Linh and her husband divorced after seven years of marriage.
intransitive: couple divorces
Eli got divorced last year but still shares custody of the children.
Minho is trying to divorce his wife, but she refuses to sign the papers.
Sophia's parents divorced when she was in elementary school.
- separate from
may refer to a legal separation that does not end the marriage
- split up with
informal, used for both married and unmarried couples
- end one's marriage to
more descriptive and formal, less common in everyday speech
文法句型
divorce + [person]
get divorced
divorce (intransitive: couple as subject)
用法筆記
When a direct object is used ('divorce someone'), no preposition is needed. 'Get divorced' is the most common form in informal speech and describes the event or state. 'Be divorced' describes the state after the event.
常見錯誤
2. to separate one idea, issue, or activity from another so that each is considered
to separate one idea, issue, or activity from another so that each is considered or dealt with on its own
Good managers learn to divorce their personal feelings from workplace decisions.
divorce X from Y — formal separation pattern
Maeve argued that it is impossible to divorce an artist's life from her paintings.
The report argues that we cannot divorce economic growth from environmental protection.
Joaquín believes schools should divorce religious instruction from science classes.
- separate
more general and less formal; works in the same construction 'separate X from Y'
- detach
suggests physical or emotional distance rather than conceptual division
- disentangle
implies that the two things are complexly interwoven and hard to pull apart
文法句型
divorce + [something] + from + [something]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'from'. Common with abstract nouns (feelings, art, policy, theory). In passive form: 'X is divorced from Y.' This sense is typical of academic or formal writing rather than casual conversation.