• (RP) IPA: /dɪˈvɔːs/
• (America) IPA: /dɪˈvɔɹs/
• (rhotic, horse-hoarse) IPA: /dɪˈvo(ː)ɹs/
• (nonrhotic, horse-hoarse) IPA: /dɪˈvoəs/

divorce

1. The legal dissolution of a marriage.

   Richard obtained a divorce from his wife some years ago, but hasn't returned to the dating scene.

2. A separation of connected things.

   The Civil War split between Virginia and West Virginia was a divorce based along cultural and economic as well as geographic lines.

3. (obsolete) That which separates.

• (legal dissolution of a marriage) divorcement
• (separation of connected things) partition, separation, severance

• marriage

• French: divorce
• German: Scheidung, Ehescheidung
• Italian: divorzio
• Portuguese: divórcio, separação
• Russian: разво́д
• Spanish: divorcio

• Portuguese: separação, divisão
• Russian: отделе́ние

divorce (divorces, present participle divorcing; past and past participle divorced)

1. (transitive) To legally dissolve a marriage between two people.

   A ship captain can marry couples, but cannot divorce them.

2. (transitive) To end one's own marriage to (a person) in this way.

   Lucy divorced Steve when she discovered that he had been unfaithful.

3. (intransitive) To obtain a legal divorce.

   Edna and Simon divorced last year; he got the house, and she retained the business.

4. (transitive) To separate something that was connected.

   The radical group voted to divorce itself from the main faction and start an independent movement.

   • c. 1601–1602, William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or VVhat You VVill”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene iv], page 269 ↗:

     He is knight dubb'd with vnhatche'd Rapier, and on carpet conſideration, but he is a diuell in priuate brawl#English|brall, soules and bodies hath he diuorc'd three, and his incenſement at this moment is ſo implacable, that ſatisfaction can be none, but by pangs of death and ſepulcher: Hob, nob, is his word: giu't or take't.

• (to legally dissolve a marriage) split up
• (to separate something that was connected) disassociate, disjoint, dissociate, disunite, separate

• marry

• French: divorcer
• German: scheiden
• Italian: divorziare
• Portuguese: divorciar
• Russian: разводи́ть
• Spanish: divorciar

• German: sich scheiden lassen
• Portuguese: divorciar-se
• Russian: разводи́ться

• Portuguese: separar
• Russian: отделя́ться

• German: sich scheiden lassen
• Portuguese: divorciar-se
• Russian: разводи́ться
• Spanish: divorciarse

1. The 65th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.