What does divorce mean?
Divorce refers to the legal ending of a marriage, typically granted by a court, which dissolves the bonds of matrimony between two people. As a noun, it names both the process and its result: a couple may file for divorce, await the final decree, and afterwards be described as divorced. As a verb, it means to legally end one's marriage, as in 'she divorced her husband last year'. Beyond the courtroom, divorce carries a figurative use, describing any sharp separation between things once linked — a divorce between rhetoric and reality, for instance. The word derives from Latin 'divortium', related to 'divertere', meaning to turn in different directions, a root it shares with 'divert' and 'diverse'. Because marriage and its breakdown are universal social experiences, divorce is a word of high frequency and considerable emotional weight, appearing constantly in law, journalism, and everyday conversation.
The legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
"Their divorce was finalized in March after an eighteen-month legal battle."
Often used with verbs like 'file for', 'seek', or 'finalize'; 'get a divorce' is common informal phrasing.
To legally end one's marriage to someone.
"He divorced his first wife in 1995 and remarried three years later."
Can be used transitively ('divorced her husband') or absolutely ('they divorced'); the passive 'be divorced' indicates current marital status.
A separation or disconnection between things previously associated or joined.
"There is an unhealthy divorce between what politicians promise and what they deliver."
Formal register, typically followed by 'between' or 'from'.
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple instances of divorce, whether involving different couples or successive divorces of one person.
"The county's rate of divorces has fallen steadily over the past decade."
The word 'divorce' comes from Latin 'divortium', from 'divertere' — literally 'to turn away from each other', the same root that gives us 'divert' and 'diverse'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of divorce
Divorce entered English in the Middle Ages from Old French 'divorce', itself from Latin 'divortium', meaning separation of spouses. The Latin noun derives from the verb 'divertere', 'to turn apart or away', combining 'dis-' ('apart') with 'vertere' ('to turn'). This makes it a cousin of English words such as 'diverse', 'divert', and 'diversion'. The figurative sense of a separation between abstract things developed early alongside the legal sense.
Related word forms
How divorce is actually used
As a verb, 'divorce' is transitive ('they divorced') or can take each other as object; 'be divorced' describes marital status. The figurative sense ('a divorce between policy and practice') is somewhat formal but common in journalism.
Easily confused with divorce
'Diverse' means varied or different in character, while 'divorce' is the legal ending of a marriage — the words share a Latin root but have entirely unrelated meanings.