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Gene93 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
Deviate vs Depart
Hello,
What do you think is the difference between them in the sentences below:
- You must not depart/deviate from the agreed route.
- The river departs/deviates from its original course two miles downstream.
- The managers didn't want to deviate/depart from the approach that's worked well for them in the past.
I think that "deviate" conveys the idea of doing something differently (from what's normally expected). I think I'd use depart in all three. What do you think is the difference between them?
Thank you
What do you think is the difference between them in the sentences below:
- You must not depart/deviate from the agreed route.
- The river departs/deviates from its original course two miles downstream.
- The managers didn't want to deviate/depart from the approach that's worked well for them in the past.
I think that "deviate" conveys the idea of doing something differently (from what's normally expected). I think I'd use depart in all three. What do you think is the difference between them?
Thank you
Top answer
deviate 1 : to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic 2 : to depart from an established course or norm <a flight forced by weather to deviate south> depart 1 a : to go away : leave b : die 2 to turn aside : deviate Merriam-Webster There is overlap. Because of the idea of straying, which is associated more with 'deviate' than with 'depart', I would use 'deviate' in all three examples. CJ
- deviate 1 : to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic 2 : to depart from an established course or norm <a flight forced by weather to deviate south> depart 1 a : to go away : leave b : die 2 to turn aside : deviate Merriam-Webster There is overlap.
- Because of the idea of straying, which is associated more with 'deviate' than with 'depart', I would use 'deviate' in all three examples.
- CJ
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4 Answers
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deviate
1 : to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic
2 : to depart from an established course or norm <a flight forced by weather to deviate south>
depart
1 a : to go away : leave b : die
2 to turn aside : deviate
Merriam-Webster
There is overlap. Because of the idea of straying, which is associated more with '
1 : to stray especially from a standard, principle, or topic
2 : to depart from an established course or norm <a flight forced by weather to deviate south>
depart
1 a : to go away : leave b : die
2 to turn aside : deviate
Merriam-Webster
There is overlap. Because of the idea of straying, which is associated more with '
00
Thanks, Jim. Can we use "depart" in the sentence about the flight? It might sound okay, but "The flight departed at 5 PM and then it departed south at 7 PM" sounds a little odd, doesn't it? According to the definitions above, I think that "depart" won't work in the sentence about the company's approach, would it?
What would you use in collocation with script/plan? I have heard people say
What would you use in collocation with script/plan? I have heard people say
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Gene93"The flight departed at 5 PM and then it departed south at 7 PM"No. That's impossible. It only confuses the reader.
Gene93I think that "depart" won't work in the sentence about the company's approach, would it?There 'depart' almost seems like 'abandon' whereas 'deviate' is like 'adjust', 'change'.
00
And that was supposed to be an easy one. 
I'm sorry I have to ruin the legend for some smarties, but the dictionaries are not always
I'm sorry I have to ruin the legend for some smarties, but the dictionaries are not always0
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