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Alight vs Depart - What's the difference?

alight | depart |

As verbs the difference between alight and depart

is that alight is to make light or less heavy; lighten; alleviate or alight can be (with from) to spring down, get down, or descend, as from on horseback or from a carriage; to dismount or alight can be to light; light up; illuminate while depart is third-person singular indicative present of .

As an adjective alight

is lit, on fire, switched on.

As a noun depart is

departure, start.

alight

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) alighten, from (etyl) .

Verb

(en verb)
  • To make light or less heavy; lighten; alleviate.
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) alighten, from (etyl) .

    Verb

  • (with from) To spring down, get down, or descend, as from on horseback or from a carriage; to dismount.
  • Passengers are alighting from the carriage
  • (with on) To descend and settle, lodge, rest, or stop.
  • A flying bird alights on a tree
    Snow alights on a roof .
  • To come or chance (upon).
  • Etymology 3

    From (etyl) alighten, from (etyl) .

    Verb

  • To light; light up; illuminate.
  • To set light to; light.
  • Etymology 4

    From (etyl) alight, from (etyl) *. See above.

    Alternative forms

    *

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Lit, on fire, switched on.
  • The sticks were damp and wouldn't catch alight .
  • (figuratively) Lit; on fire, burning.
  • Her face was alight with happiness.
    Usage notes
    Used only as a predicative.

    depart

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To leave.
  • *Shakespeare
  • *:He which hath no stomach to this fight, / Let him depart .
  • *2009 , George Monbiot, The Guardian , 7 September:
  • *:The government maintains that if its regulations are too stiff, British bankers will leave the country. It's true that they have been threatening to depart in droves, but the obvious answer is: "Sod off then."
  • To set out on a journey.
  • *:
  • *:And soo she receyued hym vpon suffysaunt seurte / so alle her hurtes were wel restored of al that she coude complayne / and thenne he departed vnto the Courte of kyne Arthur / and there openly the reed knyghte of the reed laundes putte hym in the mercy of syre Launcelot and syr Gawayne
  • To die.
  • *Bible, Luke ii. 29:
  • *:Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.
  • To deviate (from).
  • :His latest statements seemed to depart from party policy somewhat.
  • :to depart from a title or defence in legal pleading
  • *Madison
  • *:if the plan of the convention be found to depart from republican principles
  • To go away from; to leave.
  • *Bible, 1 Sam. iv. 2:
  • *:The glory is departed from Israel.
  • *2009 , The Guardian , Sport Blog, 9 September:
  • *:The build-up to Saturday's visit of Macedonia and this encounter with the Dutch could be construed as odd in the sense that there seemed a basic acceptance, inevitability even, that Burley would depart office in their immediate aftermath.
  • (obsolete) To divide up; to distribute, share.
  • *:
  • *:and so all the worlde seythe that betwyxte three knyghtes is departed clerely knyghthode, that is Sir Launcelot du Lake, Sir Trystrams de Lyones and Sir Lamerok de Galys—thes bere now the renowne.
  • (obsolete) To separate, part.
  • *:
  • Syr knyght[,] said the two squyers that were with her[,] yonder are two knyghtes that fyghte for thys lady, goo thyder and departe them.
  • :(Shakespeare)
  • Synonyms

    * (to leave) duck out, go, go away, leave, part, pull up stakes, start, start out, set forth, split, set off, set out, take off, take leave, quit * (to die) die * (to deviate) deviate, digress, diverge, sidetrack, straggle, vary * (to go away from) leave

    Antonyms

    * (to leave): arrive, come, stay * (to die): live * (to deviate): conform

    Noun

  • (obsolete) division; separation, as of compound substances
  • * Francis Bacon
  • The chymists have a liquor called water of depart .
  • (obsolete) A going away; departure.
  • * Shakespeare
  • At my depart for France.

    Anagrams

    *