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to divorce

to divorce

59 4.6
To separate yourself completely from someone or something
  • verb
  • /dɪˈvɔrs/
translation icon : desvincularse de
  • She decided to divorce her husband after many years of unhappiness.
  • divorced from religion
  • divorced from the party
  • divorced from cultural traditions

And so I was really divorced from what we would call reality.

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Examples

  • Without paradigm evolution, the military runs the risk of divorcing itself from society.

    Academic text (1994)
  • We have to divorce our emotions.

  • Or you might have to divorce them and leave them, right?

  • Is this the time to divorce yourself from family?

  • How do you divorce a missing husband?

  • Then why are you divorcing him?

  • Josie threatened to divorce them, too, if they did not give her poor ears a rest.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And young Darryl could not divorce himself from this image of his stepfather.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • You're not divorcing me.I am, I am.

  • He felt that he needed to divorce himself from negative influences in his life.

Synonyms

to leave
vsto divorce
1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

is complete disassociation rather than simple departure or travel
to break up
vsto divorce
  • Informal
678 2.6

End a relationship with someone, for example a romantic or business partner

is wider, covering full disassociation from things or people
to split
vsto divorce
575 2.3

End a relationship or go separate ways

is specifically about fully cutting ties rather than mere departure
to separate
vsto divorce
481 2.9

To move apart or stop being together

is stronger, implying complete and lasting disassociation
to withdraw
vsto divorce
466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

is an absolute break rather than gradual reduction of involvement
to pull out
vsto divorce
206 3.4

To stop being involved in an activity or agreement

is full disassociation rather than just stopping participation
to disconnect
vsto divorce
161 3.5

To separate something so it is no longer joined, for example remove a cable or turn off power

is human or relational disconnection rather than technical removal
to split up
vsto divorce
  • Informal
137 2.7

To end a close relationship and go separate ways

is a complete disassociation that applies beyond personal partnerships
to pull away
vsto divorce
86 3.5

To move away from people or a place to create space

is a definitive end to ties rather than the initial act of moving away
to disengage
vsto divorce
82 5.3

To stop being part of or connected to something

is full and personal disassociation rather than a mechanical release
75 7.0

Keep away from someone or something to show no connection

is a total break rather than mainly emotional distancing
to break away
vsto divorce
30 4.1

To leave an organization and form a separate group

is complete individual disconnection rather than splitting to form another
to part ways
vsto divorce
23 3.9

To stop being together or working with someone and go in different directions

is total personal or symbolic break rather than just leaving paths
to detach
vsto divorce
16 4.0

To come apart from something it is connected to

is deliberate personal or social separation rather than accidental detachment
to disassociate
vsto divorce
16 7.0

To end a connection with a person, group, or idea

is complete personal disassociation rather than a formal note of ending
to splinter
vsto divorce
11 6.2

To leave a group and form a smaller, separate one often after disagreement

is full dissociation that applies beyond disagreement or politics
to cut the cord
vsto divorce
  • Informal
5 6.6

To stop depending on someone or something and become independent

is total separation broadly, not only aimed at independence
to dissociate
vsto divorce
3 6.7

To stop being involved with a person, group, or idea

is the same full disconnection with complete finality
to disaffiliate
vsto divorce
  • Formal
1 7.5

To stop being a member of a group or organization

is broader personal disconnection beyond formal membership alone
to unattach
vsto divorce
1 7.5

To stop feeling close to someone or something

is broader total separation rather than focusing only on attachment loss

Compounds

A lawyer who helps people end their marriage and deal with legal matters

divorce court
  • Formal
8 3.7

A court that ends marriages and decides matters like child custody and property

The end of a marriage when the partners are angry and unfriendly

9.9

A confident, free attitude someone shows after a divorce

9.9

An offensive phrase used to say one person is unfairly treated in a divorce, often about money or child custody

sleep divorce
  • Literature
7.5

A plan where a couple sleeps in separate beds or rooms because they have different sleep habits

Surface Forms

divorce infinitive
divorced past
divorced past participle
divorcing present participle
divorces third person singular

Etymology

Divorce comes from Latin parts di- 'apart' and vertere 'to turn', which gives the strong image of things 'turning away' from each other. That is why you can also divorce yourself from an idea or group — to separate completely or stop being connected to it.