Divorce

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /dɪˈvɔː(ɹ)s/
• US IPA: /dɪˈvoʊɹs/, /dɪˈvɔɹs/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)s

Origin

From Old French divorce, from Latin dīvortium, from dīvertere ("to turn aside"), from dī- ("apart") + vertere ("to turn"); see verse.

Full definition of divorce

Noun

1. The legal dissolution of a marriage.Richard obtained a divorce from his wife some years ago, but hasn't returned to the dating scene.
2. A separation of connected things.The Civil War split between Virginia and West Virginia was a divorce based along cultural and economic as well as geographic lines.
• Shakespeareto make divorce of their incorporate league
3. (obsolete) That which separates.

Synonyms

• (legal dissolution of a marriage) divorcement
• (separation of connected things) partition, separation, severance

Antonyms

• marriage

Derived terms

• velvet divorce

Verb

1. (transitive) To legally dissolve a marriage between two people.A ship captain can marry couples, but cannot divorce them.
2. (transitive) To end one's own marriage in this way.Lucy divorced Steve when she discovered that he had been unfaithful.
3. (transitive) To separate something that was connected.The radical group voted to divorce itself from the main faction and start an independent movement.
4. (intransitive) To obtain a legal divorce.Edna and Simon divorced last year; he got the house, and she retained the business.

Synonyms

• (to legally dissolve a marriage) split up
• (to separate something that was connected) disassociate, disjoint, dissociate, disunite, separate

Antonyms

• marry