Advertisement

View synonyms for divorce

divorce

1

[ dih-vawrs ]

noun

  1. the act of legally ending a marriage: Compare judicial separation ( def ).

    After the divorce, they shared custody of the children.

  2. any formal separation of spouses according to established custom.
  3. the act of legally ending a formal contract before its term is up, especially in professional sports:

    If there’s a personality clash between the player and the manager, divorce may be the only way out.

    It’s a guide to corporate divorce, laying out who pays what to whom at the early termination of a contract.

  4. a total separation between two things; disunion:

    Activists denounced the divorce between thought and action when it came to protecting human rights.



verb (used with object)

, di·vorced, di·vorc·ing.
  1. to legally end the marriage contract between oneself and (one's spouse):

    She divorced her husband.

  2. to permanently separate (a couple) through a judicial declaration that ends their marriage contract:

    The judge divorced the couple.

  3. to separate or cut off:

    His view of the situation has become totally divorced from reality.

    Synonyms: disjoin, detach, sever, disconnect, divide, dissociate, rupture, disjunction, dissolution, breakup, annulment

verb (used without object)

, di·vorced, di·vorc·ing.
  1. to legally end one’s marriage:

    After 16 years together, they divorced.

    I never thought about money till I divorced.

divorcé

2

[ dih-vawr-sey, -vohr-, -vawr-sey, -vohr- ]

noun

  1. a divorced man.

divorce

1

/ dɪˈvɔːs /

noun

  1. the dissolution of a marriage by judgment of a court or by accepted custom
  2. a judicial decree declaring a marriage to be dissolved
  3. a separation, esp one that is total or complete
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. to separate or be separated by divorce; give or obtain a divorce (to a couple or from one's spouse)
  2. tr to remove or separate, esp completely
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

divorcé

2

/ dɪˈvɔːseɪ /

noun

  1. a man who has been divorced
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Gender Note

Discover More

Derived Forms

  • diˈvorcer, noun
  • diˈvorcive, adjective
  • diˈvorceable, adjective
Discover More

Other Words From

  • di·vorce·a·ble adjective
  • di·vorc·er noun
  • di·vor·cive adjective
  • non·di·vorced adjective
  • un·di·vorce·a·ble adjective
  • un·di·vorced adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of divorce1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin dīvortium “separation,” from dīvort(ere) variant of dīvertere “to turn away” ( divert ) + -ium -ium

Origin of divorce2

First recorded in 1805–15; from French, noun use of masculine past participle of divorcer, from Medieval Latin dīvortiāre “to divorce,” derivative of Latin dīvortium “separation”; divorce
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of divorce1

C14: from Old French, from Latin dīvortium from dīvertere to separate; see divert
Discover More

Example Sentences

If you think divorce between two people is messy and traumatic, imagine divorcing yourself.

Just a week after her divorce, she was invited to a wedding by her sister-in-law.

The pair began their relationship in 2007, and went public with it in 2010 after her divorce was finalized.

She moved out a month later, and du Pont subsequently filed for divorce.

Divorce ensued, along with a deluge of humiliating media coverage.

Quite frequently, the statute provides that there shall be no dower in case of divorce for the wife's fault.

An absolute divorce, even though for the husband's fault, divests the wife of dower, unless her right is saved by statute.

A husband does not lose his homestead when his wife withdraws from the family under a decree of divorce.

Adultery is a cause recognized in all of them, for which an absolute divorce can be granted.

Desertion is a general ground of divorce, the law in every state prescribing a period of time, quite often three years.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


divodivorce court