divorce
[noun]
Synonyms:
- separation, annulment, dissolution, split-up
[verb]
Synonyms:
- separate, disconnect, dissociate, dissolve (marriage), divide, part, sever, split up

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Related Words: disaffect, wean, break up, separate, split, annul, cancel

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English Thesaurus: divorce, separate, split up/break up, leave somebod

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. di‧vorce¹ S3 /dəˈvɔːs, dɪˈvɔːs $ -ɔːrs/ noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin divertere 'to divert, leave one's husband']

1. [uncountable and countable] the legal ending of a marriage ⇒ separation:
Why doesn’t she get a divorce?
One in three marriages ends in divorce.
file/sue/petition for divorce (=start the legal divorce process)
His wife has started divorce proceedings.
the rise in the divorce rate
She received the house as part of the divorce settlement (=the amount of money, property etc each person receives in a divorce case).
The Act extended the grounds (=legal reasons) for divorce.

2. [countable usually singular] formal the fact of separating two related things
divorce between
the divorce between theory and method

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. divorce² verb
[Word Family: noun: divorcé, divorcee; verb: divorce; adjective: divorced]

1. [intransitive and transitive] if someone divorces their husband or wife, or if two people divorce, they legally end their marriage ⇒ separate:
David’s parents divorced when he was six.
My father threatened to divorce her.

2. [transitive] formal to separate two ideas, subjects etc completely
divorce something from something
It is difficult to divorce sport from politics.

3. [transitive] to stop being involved in an activity, organization, situation etc
divorce yourself from something
Our society has divorced itself from religion.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

divorce
noun
ADJ. amicable, uncontested | acrimonious, bitter | messy, painful | quick
VERB + DIVORCE want | apply for, ask for, file for, petition for, seek, sue for, want She filed for divorce in 1996.
get, obtain He told her that he was married but getting a divorce.
experience, go through She watched her parents go through an acrimonious divorce.
agree to, consent to | contest These days divorce is rarely contested.
grant (sb) Over 50,000 divorces were granted last year.
refuse sb | end in An increasing number of marriages end in divorce.
DIVORCE + VERB come through He is waiting for the divorce to come through before he remarries.
DIVORCE + NOUN court | case, proceedings | decree, settlement | figures, rate, statistics The divorce rate has been growing steadily since 1971.
law
PREP. ~ from her divorce from the pop star
~ on the grounds of seeking a divorce on the grounds of cruelty
PHRASES grounds for divorce He cited adultery as grounds for divorce.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

divorce

get a divorce (=end your marriage)
Their marriage had never been happy and in the end they got a divorce.
go through a divorce (=experience getting a divorce)
I was going through a divorce and it was a very painful time.
want a divorce
She told him she wanted a divorce.
ask (somebody) for a divorce
She asked her husband for a divorce after he had been unfaithful.
a marriage ends in divorce
Five years later, their marriage ended in divorce.
file for divorce (also petition for divorce formal) (=start the legal divorce process)
The next day I saw a lawyer and filed for a divorce.
a bitter divorce (=involving very angry feelings)
After a long and bitter divorce, Wendy was looking forward to starting a new life.
a messy divorce (=complicated and unpleasant to deal with)
She wanted to avoid a messy divorce .
a painful divorce (=causing a lot of sadness)
I have been through a painful divorce, and know what it feels like.
the divorce rate (=the number of people who get a divorce)
The country has a high divorce rate.
divorce proceedings (=the legal processes of getting a divorce)
His first marriage was unsuccessful and led to long divorce proceedings.
a divorce settlement (=the amount of money, property etc each person gets in a divorce)
She received a $10 million divorce settlement from her first husband.
a divorce case (=a legal case dealing with a divorce)
It was the biggest divorce case that an English court has dealt with.
a divorce lawyer/court (=one dealing with divorce)
She's a famous New York divorce lawyer.
divorce papers (=documents concerning a divorce)
My husband refused to sign the divorce papers.
grounds for divorce (=acceptable reasons for divorce, according to the law)
Violence and neglect are grounds for divorce.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

divorce
I.
verb
1.
BAD: Sally told me she was going to divorce.
GOOD: Sally told me she was going to get a divorce.
BAD: When there are children involved, it is difficult to divorce.
GOOD: When there are children involved, it is difficult to get divorced.

Usage Note:
get a divorce or get divorced (= end one's marriage by taking legal action): 'I had just turned ten when my parents got divorced.' 'It took my sister almost a year to get a divorce.'

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2.
BAD: The fact that your wife crashed the Ferrari is not a good reason to divorce to her.
GOOD: The fact that your wife crashed the Ferrari is not a good reason to divorce her.
BAD: For some reason, she didn't want to divorce with him.
GOOD: For some reason, she didn't want to divorce him.

Usage Note:
divorce sb (WITHOUT to/with ): 'She'd divorced her husband six months before and had gone back to live with her parents.'
Note that get divorced is far more common than divorce someone: 'For some reason, she didn't want to get divorced.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

divorce
II.
noun
BAD: It's bad enough when you get divorce, but far worse when you lose your children as well.
GOOD: It's bad enough when you get divorced, but far worse when you lose your children as well.
BAD: If we were divorce, who would look after the children?
GOOD: If we were divorced, who would look after the children?

Usage Note:
be/get divorced (WITH 'd' ): 'They got divorced in 1993, just twelve months after they were married.' 'It seems as if getting divorced has become fashionable nowadays.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

divorce to legally end your marriage:
After seven years, they decided to divorce.
She divorced him six months after they were married.
separate to start to live apart from your husband or wife because of problems in your marriage:
They argued all the time and in the end agreed to separate.
She separated from her husband and moved to a flat in London.
split up/break up to end a marriage or a romantic relationship:
When Andy was nine, his parents split up.
He's just broken up with his girlfriend.
leave somebody to stop living with your husband, wife, or partner, often because you are having a relationship with someone else:
Her husband left her for a younger woman after 27 years of marriage.
Dan's left me.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲