Definition and pronunciation
divorce /dɪˈvɔrs/ (noun and verb): the legal ending of a marriage; to legally end a marriage.
Related: divorced /dɪˈvɔrst/ (adjective) = no longer married.
Easy explanation
Divorce means a marriage is officially ended by a court. As a verb, to divorce means a couple chooses to end their marriage legally.
Grammatical formation
- Noun: a divorce, the divorce, no-fault divorce.
- Verb: divorce, divorces, divorced, divorcing.
- Active: “They divorced last year.”
- Passive-like idiom via “get”: “They got divorced last year.”
- Adjective: divorced (“her divorced parents”).
- Objects: “divorce someone,” “divorce A from B” (figurative “separate”).
- Register: neutral to formal in legal contexts; common in everyday speech.
Meanings and nuances
- Legal dissolution of marriage — the central meaning.
- Figurative separation — to separate one thing from another (“We must divorce policy from politics”), often implying a deliberate split.
With prepositions and variants
- divorce from [person]: “She filed for divorce from Ben.”
- divorce from [thing/idea] (figurative): “We can’t divorce data from context.”
- divorce between [X and Y]: the separation or gap (“a divorce between rhetoric and reality”).
- get divorced: common everyday phrasing for the event/state.
- file for divorce: start the legal process.
- grant a divorce: a court finalizes it.
- grounds for divorce: legal reasons cited.
Common collocations
file for divorce, get divorced, grant a divorce, finalize a divorce, divorce settlement, divorce decree, divorce lawyer, divorce court, no-fault divorce, contested divorce, amicable divorce, messy divorce, high-conflict divorce, divorce proceedings, divorce papers, grounds for divorce, divorce rate, divorced parents, divorced from reality
Idioms and neighboring expressions
call it quits, split up, part ways, end the marriage, dissolve the marriage, uncouple, conscious uncoupling, make a clean break, go separate ways, untie the knot
Word comparisons
- divorce vs separation: separation = living apart; divorce = legal end of marriage.
- divorce vs annulment: annulment declares a marriage legally void as if it never existed; divorce ends a valid marriage.
- divorce vs break up: break up ends a dating relationship; divorce ends a marriage.
- divorce vs dissolution: some jurisdictions use “dissolution” as the formal term for divorce, especially for civil unions.
Real-life examples
- “After months of counseling, they decided to file for divorce.”
- “The judge granted the divorce, and the settlement covered custody and property.”
- “Academic writing often aims to divorce emotion from analysis.”
Sample sentences
- “They got divorced last spring.”
- “She’s meeting her divorce lawyer tomorrow.”
- “It was an amicable divorce, and they co-parent well.”
- “His essay tries to divorce art from politics.”
- “The court issued the divorce decree in June.”
- “What are the grounds for divorce in your state?”
- “The divorce rate has fallen in the last decade.”
- “They finalized the divorce after mediation.”
- “He wants to divorce the brand from its past image.”
- “Contested divorces can take longer to resolve.”
Synonyms
dissolution, legal separation, annulment (context-dependent), split, separation, breakup, uncoupling, end of marriage
Antonyms
marriage, wedding, union, reconciliation, remarriage
Related terms
alimony, spousal support, child custody, visitation, child support, prenuptial agreement, marital property, equitable distribution, community property, mediation, decree absolute, decree nisi, no-fault, irretrievable breakdown, separation agreement, co-parenting
Connection to sexuality
“Divorce” itself is not a sexual term. It’s a legal and social term about ending a marriage. It can intersect with sexuality in real life—e.g., sexual incompatibility cited as a reason, or legal issues around intimacy and consent—but the word’s core meaning is non-sexual.
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