point of departure
English Meaning & Definitions
The place or time at which a journey, process, or discussion begins.
- “The airport served as our point of departure for the international tour.”
- “His controversial essay served as the point of departure for a much larger debate on ethics.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “point of departure”.
The phrase combines the Middle English 'point' (from Old French, ultimately Latin 'punctus', meaning a prick or mark) with 'departure' (from Old French 'departir', meaning to divide or separate). Historically, it referred to the specific geographical location from which a ship or traveler began a journey. By the 19th century, the term evolved metaphorically to describe the initial premise or starting position of an argument, project, or intellectual inquiry.
Think of a ship leaving a dock: the dock is the 'point of departure' for the voyage.
Frequently Asked Questions About “point of departure”
1. What is the meaning of “point of departure” in English?
In English, point of departure (noun) is defined as: “The place or time at which a journey, process, or discussion begins.”.
2. How do you use “point of departure” in a sentence?
“The airport served as our point of departure for the international tour.”
3. What are English synonyms of “point of departure”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “point of departure”?
The phrase combines the Middle English 'point' (from Old French, ultimately Latin 'punctus', meaning a prick or mark) with 'departure' (from Old French 'departir', meaning to divide or separate). Historically, it referred to the specific geographical location from which a ship or traveler began a journey. By the 19th century, the term evolved metaphorically to describe the initial premise or starting position of an argument, project, or intellectual inquiry.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.