point of departure

noun phrase

: a starting point especially in a discussion

Examples of point of departure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Much in the way film was an inspiration to comic artists in the early twentieth century, theater offered a logical point of departure for organizing narrative in nineteenth-century comics. Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 9 Oct. 2024 But this series, unlike so much of the endless Marvel hyperlinking and spinoffs, feels like its own world and own point of departure. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2024 According to Koryo Tours’ website, introductory tours to North Korea typically range between 600 euros and 1,500 euros per person, depending on factors such as the point of departure, duration, group size, and lodging. Dylan Butts, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2024 In its pages, researchers could find a set of facts, concepts, problems, and techniques to serve as points of departure for new explorations. Discover Magazine, 14 June 2024 Stripped of their unfortunate historical associations and understood properly, many of the concerns and convictions that animated the original America First movement provide a sound point of departure for doing just that. Andrew J. Bacevich, Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017 All of the winners in this category represent the top 20% overall satisfaction score, based on passengers surveys conducted at the point of departure. Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Mar. 2024 But Garrone is concerned with something that often escapes the headlines and statistics: the on-the-ground atrocities migrants endure to even reach that point of departure, including the traversing of a desert. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Both Tunisia and Mauritania were key points of departure for migrants crossing the Mediterranean and a stretch of the Atlantic to Italy and Spain, respectively, and they too were criticized for alleged abuses against migrants. Samy Magdy, Fortune Europe, 17 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of point of departure was in 1804

Dictionary Entries Near point of departure

Cite this Entry

“Point of departure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/point%20of%20departure. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!