Etymology
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divorce (n.)

late 14c., "legal dissolution of the bond of marriage," from Old French divorce (14c.), from Latin divortium "separation, dissolution of marriage," from divertere "to separate, leave one's husband, turn aside" (see divert). Not distinguished in English from legal separation until mid-19c. Extended sense of "complete separation, absolute disjunction" is from early 15c.

divorce (v.)

c. 1400, divorcen, "to put away or abandon (a spouse); to dissolve the marriage contract between by process of law," from Old French divorcer, from divorce (see divorce (n.)). Extended sense of "release or sever from any close connection" is from early 15c. Related: Divorced; divorcing.

Entries linking to divorce

divert (v.)

early 15c., diverten, "change the direction or course of; change the aim or destination of, turn aside or away" (transitive), from Old French divertir (14c.) and directly from Latin divertere "to turn in different directions," blended with devertere "turn aside," from vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend") with, in the first word, an assimilated form of dis- "aside," and in the second with de- "from."

Sense of "draw off (someone) from a particular intention or state of mind" is from c. 1600, hence the meaning "amuse, entertain" (1660s). Related: Diverted; diverting.

divorcee (n.)

"divorced woman," 1764, from French divorcée, noun use of fem. past participle of divorcer (see divorce (v.)). It began to lose its italics by the 1880s. The male equivalent in French is divorcé.

divorcement (n.)

1520s, "act or process of divorcing," from divorce (v.) + -ment. General sense of "severance of a close relation" is from 1550s.

updated on September 10, 2018

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Dictionary entries near divorce

divisible

division

divisional

divisive

divisor

divorce

divorcee

divorcement

divot

divulge

divvy

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