divorce

di|vorce¹ S3 [dıˈvo:s US -o:rs] n

[Date: 1300-1400; : French; Origin: Latin divertere 'to divert, leave one's husband']

1.) [U and C]

the legal ending of a marriage

→↑separation

▪ Why doesn't she get a divorce ?

▪ In Britain, one in three marriages ends in divorce .

file/sue/petition for divorce

(=start the legal divorce process)

▪ His wife had threatened to start divorce proceedings .

▪ the rise in the divorce rate

▪ She received the house as part of the divorce settlement (=the amount of money, property etc each person receives in a divorce case) .

▪ The Act extended the grounds (=legal reasons) for divorce .

2.) [C usually singular] formal

the fact of separating two related things

divorce between

▪ the divorce between theory and method

divorce ²

divorce² v

1.) [I and T]

if someone divorces their husband or wife, or if two people divorce, they legally end their marriage

→↑separate

▪ David's parents divorced when he was six.

▪ My father threatened to divorce her.

2.) [T] formal

to separate two ideas, subjects etc completely

divorce sth from sth

▪ It is difficult to divorce sport from politics.

3.) [T]

to stop being involved in an activity, organization, situation etc

divorce yourself from sth

▪ Our society has divorced itself from religion.