Definition

1. Noun:

   • The legal dissolution of a marriage: The formal, legal ending of a marriage by a court or other competent authority.
   • A complete separation between things: A situation where two things that were once connected are now entirely separated.

2. Verb:

   • To legally end one's marriage: To obtain a legal divorce from one's spouse.
   • To separate or disconnect completely: To sever the association or connection between two things or concepts.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Their divorce was finalized last month.
  • There is a growing divorce between political rhetoric and actual policy.

• Verb:

  • They decided to divorce after years of unhappiness.
  • It is difficult to divorce emotion from rational decision-making.

Advanced Usage

• "to be divorced from reality": to be completely out of touch with real facts or practical considerations.
  • His extravagant plans are completely divorced from reality.
• "irreconcilable differences" (a common legal ground for divorce): fundamental disagreements that make a marriage unsustainable.
  • The court granted the divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences.

Variants and Related Words

• Divorced (adj): Having had one's marriage legally dissolved.
  • She is a divorced mother of two.
• Divorcee (n): A person who is divorced.
  • He joined a social club for divorcees.
• Divorcement (n): (Formal) The action or an instance of divorcing or separating.
  • The divorcement of church and state is a key principle.

Synonyms

• Noun (legal): Dissolution, annulment.
• Verb (to separate): Sever, disconnect, dissociate, disunite.

Related Phrases and Phrasal Verbs

• To divorce oneself from: To deliberately detach or distance oneself from something.
  • The artist sought to divorce himself from his earlier commercial work.
• Divorce proceedings: The legal process of obtaining a divorce.
  • The divorce proceedings were lengthy and costly.

Related Idioms

• "A marriage/union made in heaven that ended in divorce court": Used to describe a relationship that seemed perfect but ended badly.
  • Their partnership was a match made in heaven that sadly ended in divorce court.
• "Quickie divorce": (Informal) A divorce obtained rapidly, often due to simplified legal procedures.
  • They got a quickie divorce in another country.

Noun

1. the legal dissolution of a marriage

Verb

1. get a divorce; formally terminate a marriage
   • The couple divorced after only 6 months
2. part; cease or break association with
   • She disassociated herself from the organization when she found out the identity of the president