divorce

UK: /dɪˈvɔː^rs/ US: /dɪˈvɔrs/ ,(di vôrs′, -vōrs′)

Inflections of 'divorce' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

divorces

v 3rd person singular

divorcing

v pres p

divorced

v past

divorced

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

di•vorce /dɪˈvɔrs/   n., v., -vorced, -vorc•ing. 
n. 

1. Law a formal declaration dissolving a marriage and releasing both spouses by law from all marriage obligations:
   [countable] She told him she wanted a divorce.
2. formal separation of husband and wife:
   [uncountable] Is divorce allowed in that religion?

v. 

3. to separate by divorce:
   [~ + object] The judge divorced the couple.
4. Law to break the marriage contract between oneself and (one's spouse) by divorce:
   [~ + object] She divorced him after twenty years of marriage.
5. to get a divorce:
   [no object] She divorced and remarried later.
6. to separate;
   cut off: [no object]
   Life and art cannot be divorced.
   [~ + object + from + object]
   Can you divorce life from art?

di•vorced, adj.: 

divorced couples.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

di•vorce  (di vôrs′, -vōrs′), n., v. -vorced, -vorc•ing. 
n. 

1. Law a judicial declaration dissolving a marriage in whole or in part, esp. one that releases the husband and wife from all matrimonial obligations. Cf. judicial separation.
2. any formal separation of husband and wife according to established custom.
3. total separation;
   disunion:
   a divorce between thought and action.

v.t. 

4. to separate by divorce:
   The judge divorced the couple.
5. Law to break the marriage contract between oneself and (one's spouse) by divorce:
   She divorced her husband.
6. to separate;
   cut off:
   Life and art cannot be divorced.

v.i. 

7. to get a divorce.

• Latin dīvortium separation, equivalent. to dīvort(ere), variant of dīvertere to divert + -ium -ium
• Anglo-French
• Middle English 1350–1400

di•vorce′a•ble, adj. 
di•vorc′er, n. 
di•vor′cive, adj. 
Synonyms

• 6. dissociate, divide, disconnect, split, disjoin.

di•vor•cé  (di vôr sā′, -vōr-, -vôr′sā, -vōr′-), n. 

1. a divorced man.

• Medieval Latin dīvortiāre to divorce, derivative of Latin dīvortium divorce
• French, noun, nominal use of masculine past participle of divorcer
• 1805–15

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

divorce / 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

verb

1. to separate or be separated by divorce; give or obtain a divorce (to a couple or from one's spouse)
2. (transitive) to remove or separate, esp completely

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French, from Latin dīvortium from dīvertere to separate; see divert

diˈvorceable adjective

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

divorcé / dɪˈvɔːseɪ/ noun

1. a man who has been divorced