divorce1 noundivorce2 verb
divorcedi‧vorce1 /dəˈvɔːs $ -ɔːrs/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 
WORD ORIGINdivorce1
Origin:
1300-1400 French, Latin divertere ‘to divert, leave one's husband’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A third of all marriages in Britain end in divorce.
- Caroline's husband asked her for a divorce and she agreed.
- Gwen has just been through a bitter divorce.
- Half the marriages in this country end in divorce.
- I've only seen my ex-wife once since the divorce.
- It's much too easy to get a divorce nowadays.
- The divorce rate has risen steadily since the 1950s.
- It is too much like a divorce.
- Many say they have seen too many bad marriages and divorces even to try it themselves.
- One study in the early I970s indicated that only 16 percent of Catholic marriages ended in divorce.
- Or see them through an abortion, a divorce, a gruelling court-case?
- Sometimes through abandonment; more often through non-marriage or divorce.
- The cancer was diagnosed one and a half years after the divorce.
- Wagenbach deferred ruling on the divorce papers until the state seeks to introduce them as evidence.
- Yet the liberal interpretation of divorce laws appears to have led to the alarming trends already observed.
Longman Language Activatorto get divorced
to legally end your marriage: · My parents got divorced last year.· Before getting divorced, you should think carefully about the effect it will have on the children.
if someone divorces their husband or wife, or if two people divorce, they legally end their marriage: · Finally, after years of unhappy marriage, Eva divorced Stanley.· He kept promising her that he would divorce his wife, but he never actually did it.· Petra's parents divorced when she was about seven years old.
the legal process of ending a marriage: · I've only seen my ex-wife once since the divorce.· Gwen has just been through a bitter divorce.get a divorce: · It's much too easy to get a divorce nowadays.ask (somebody) for a divorce: · Caroline's husband asked her for a divorce and she agreed.end in divorce: · A third of all marriages in Britain end in divorce.divorce rate (=the number of divorces each year): · The divorce rate has risen steadily since the 1950s.
if a husband and wife separate , they no longer live together, usually because they intend to get divorced: · Linda and George have only been married for a year and they're already thinking of separating.· Anne and I separated for three months, but we are now together again.
informal if two people split up , they end their marriage or they stop having a romantic relationship: · They're always arguing but I don't think they'll ever split up.split up with: · Have you heard? Katie's splitting up with Andrew!
someone who is divorced someone who is divorced has officially ended their marriage: · Sue's parents are divorced.· At twenty-five Maria is now divorced, and lives with her three children.· More than 80% of divorced men, and 75% of divorced women, go on to remarry.get divorced: · They got divorced only three years after they got married.
a woman who is legally no longer married to her former husband: · Pam is a divorcee who has to bring her baby daughter up on her own.· Most of the people on the holiday seemed to be divorcees.
if a husband and wife are separated , they do not live with each other, because they are not happy together any more, but they are not divorced: · David and I have been separated for the last six months, but we're not legally divorced yet.· I didn't know Linda and Mike were separated.separated from: · Victoria's separated from her husband and caring for her children alone.
also ex spoken informal the man or woman that someone was once married to: · I had a letter from my ex-wife yesterday.· Women who are attacked by their husbands or ex-husbands often fail to report them to the police.· My ex and I haven't spoken in years.
WORD SETSbaby, nounbarrier method, nounbetrothal, nounboy, nounBr., branch, nouncontraception, nouncousin, noundescendant, noundescent, noundistant, adjectivedivorce, noundivorce, verbdivorced, adjectivedivorcée, noundomestic, adjectivedowry, noundynasty, nounex, nounextended family, nounfamilial, adjectivefamily man, nounfamily planning, nounfamily tree, nounfather, nounfather-in-law, nounfiancé, nounfiancée, nounfilial, adjectivefirst cousin, noungodchild, noungoddaughter, noungrandad, noungrandaddy, noungrandchild, noungranddad, noungranddaddy, noungranddaughter, noungrandfather, noungrandma, noungrandmother, noungrandpa, noungrandparent, noungrandson, noungranny, nounhalf-brother, nounhalf-sister, nounhereditary, adjectivehouse husband, nounin-laws, nounintermarry, verbmaiden aunt, nounmaid of honour, nounmam, nounmama, nounmamma, nounmammy, nounman, nounmarital, adjectivematrimony, nounmiscegenation, nounmixed marriage, nounmonogamy, nounnuclear family, nounoedipal, adjectiveOedipus complex, nounone-parent family, nounparent, nounparentage, nounparental, adjectiveparenthood, nounparenting, nounpaternity, nounpaternity suit, nounpatriarch, nounpatriarchy, nounpedigree, nounpolygamy, nounpropinquity, nounproposal, nounrelative, nounscion, nounseparate, verbseparated, adjectiveseparation, nounsibling, nounsingle parent, nounsister, nounsister-in-law, nounstepbrother, nounstepchild, nounstepdaughter, nounstepfather, nounstepmother, nounstepsister, nounstepson, noununcle, noununion, noununmarried, adjectiveupbringing, nounwedding, nounwedlock, nounwhite wedding, nounwidow, nounwidower, nounwidowhood, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
The Morrisons have filed for divorce. Mental cruelty can be grounds for divorce. More and more couples are petitioning for divorce. He is being sued for divorce (=in order to end a marriage) by his wife.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
(=end your marriage)· Their marriage had never been happy and in the end they got a divorce.
(=experience getting a divorce)· I was going through a divorce and it was a very painful time.
· She told him she wanted a divorce.
· She asked her husband for a divorce after he had been unfaithful.
· Five years later, their marriage ended in divorce.
(also petition for divorce formal) (=start the legal divorce process)· The next day I saw a lawyer and filed for a divorce.
adjectives (=involving very angry feelings)· After a long and bitter divorce, Wendy was looking forward to starting a new life.
(=complicated and unpleasant to deal with)· She wanted to avoid a messy divorce .
(=causing a lot of sadness)· I have been through a painful divorce, and know what it feels like.
divorce + NOUN (=the number of people who get a divorce)· The country has a high divorce rate.
(=the legal processes of getting a divorce)· His first marriage was unsuccessful and led to long divorce proceedings.
(=the amount of money, property etc each person gets in a divorce)· She received a $10 million divorce settlement from her first husband.
(=a legal case dealing with a divorce)· It was the biggest divorce case that an English court has dealt with.
(=one dealing with divorce)· She's a famous New York divorce lawyer.
(=documents concerning a divorce)· My husband refused to sign the divorce papers.
phrases (=acceptable reasons for divorce, according to the law)· Violence and neglect are grounds for divorce.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The Morrisons have filed for divorce. Mental cruelty can be grounds for divorce.· an accountant who knows about tax law
More and more couples are petitioning for divorce.· His wife had threatened to start divorce proceedings.
· The UK has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe.
(=not connected in any way to what is really happening)· His ideas are completely divorced from reality.
(=an agreement about money and property at the end of a marriage)· She acquired full ownership of the building in her 1986 divorce settlement.
He is being sued for divorce (=in order to end a marriage) by his wife.· You tell her from me the divorce courts are never far yonder.· The Victorians introduced plain-clothes detectives and the divorce courts.· I think I was destroyed long before the divorce courts.· He was fixing to get rid of the first one in the divorce courts.
· In 1989 more than 25,000 divorce decrees were made because of the husband's adultery, 18,000 because of the wife's.· She moved to Chelsea and waited for Joyce's divorce decree to become absolute.
· Yet the liberal interpretation of divorce laws appears to have led to the alarming trends already observed.· For purposes of consistency and enforcement across state lines, divorce laws need to be substantially federalized by the national village.· The story of marriage and divorce law is extremely complicated.· No state has yet repealed its divorce law.· Our divorce laws are still, regrettably, largely adversarial.· A number of important social reforms have resulted from ballot bills such as abortion and divorce law reform.· Remember, though, divorce laws don't discriminate.· The church's view, that marriages sanctioned by religious ritual should not be broken, is reflected in divorce laws.
· Or get in touch with the Solicitor's Family Law Association,, whose members are all experienced divorce lawyers.· Marriage teeters on the line between a cooperative venture and a form of mutual exploitation-ask any divorce lawyer.· I can only assume they're taking bungs from divorce lawyers.
· First of all, there are ways that missing husbands can be traced so that the divorce petition can be sent to them.· The divorce petition was later dropped.· In the divorce petition he claimed, interalia, interim and permanent joint custody of, and access to, the child.
· She dropped divorce proceedings hoping the ban would be lifted.· Given the quick nature of the divorce proceedings, it appears most of the hard negotiations are out of the way.· Awife whose solicitors have been negligent in negotiating a financial settlement in her divorce proceedings is entitled to damages against the solicitors.· A wife, who had been married for six years, consulted the defendant firm of solicitors about her divorce proceedings.· It's the only real explanation Tolby had for him starting up the divorce proceedings again.· It meant solicitors, divorce proceedings.· Except in divorce proceedings, commencement by petition is now very rare.
· The overall divorce rate is 20 percent.· This is our answer to the tragically high divorce rate twenty-five years ago.· The divorce rate rose from almost zero to 0.9 per cent in 1985 and 1.8 per cent in 1995.· However, if current divorce rates continue this will be true of many more in future.· But by the late I980s, the Catholic divorce rate had climbed to almost 30 percent.· In 1961, before the Divorce Law Reform Act was introduced, the divorce rate was only 2.1.· The national divorce rate dropped, if infinitesimally, from 1992 to 1994, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
· It's judged in somewhat the same way as a divorce settlement, the same sort of amount.· This partner had been given several million dollars as part of a divorce settlement.· Her kisses and cuddles with Bryan could drastically reduce the payout she would receive as part of a divorce settlement.· A final divorce settlement still needs to be worked out.· Instead, court testimony revealed that Jerry Garcia asked her to draft a divorce settlement, which he signed.· It is Mr Ekdahl and his puny divorce settlement.
VERB· Of course it won't end in divorce.· She met and moved in with Larry Flor about a year ago after her marriage ended in divorce.· But how long do you have to decide whether her adultery should end in divorce?· One study in the early I970s indicated that only 16 percent of Catholic marriages ended in divorce.· Of every five marriages, two will end in divorce.· A marriage to a resident ended quickly in divorce.· From 1989, with around 165,000 divorces perannum, we are getting on for almost one in two marriages ending in divorce.· His first marriage, to heiress Catherine Mellon, ended in divorce, and he reportedly received a $ 7 million settlement.
· But she filed for divorce in June last year after a series of violent rows.· Flinn says this guy lied to her, saying he was legally separated from his wife and had filed for divorce.· The very next day I saw a solicitor and filed for divorce.· Though she has filed for divorce, Anne Mirretti, 38, asked the judge to have pity on her husband.· Danielle has since filed for divorce.· Like the dated documents that mark the summer Jerry and I filed for divorce.· Within months of filing for divorce, he had set up home with Boon co-star Liz Carling and they talked of marriage.
· Yes, he was trying to get a divorce but he couldn't.· Cohabitors bicker less if they do marry and fight less during the breakup if they do get a divorce.· And in the hallowed world of television, this change is akin to Charles and Di getting a divorce.· But Mrs Melderis does not get a divorce, no one ever does.· Can you still get your divorce on such puny, immediately regretted unfaithfulness?· Oh yes, we can leave the country and go to Berlin, where we can get a divorce.· The last thing that Mrs Keppel would have been encouraged to do was to get a divorce.· And Millie was able to get a divorce, and of course the daughters, including my grandmother, stayed with her.
· Former tennis star Boris Becker and his wife Barbara have been granted a divorce in Munich.
· You will need to tell your mum to consult a solicitor if she now wishes to obtain a divorce.· Though they could be divorced by their husbands, they could not obtain a divorce themselves.· That is quite a different matter from filling in forms stored in computers and obtaining quickie divorces.
· The client originally attended the appointment to seek a divorce and sort out her problems with maintenance.
· These pictures were the most sensational evidence when her second husband, the Duke of Argyll, sued for divorce.· Her granddaughter the Countess Olenska wishes to sue her husband for divorce.
· Via his lawyer, Sam refused to give Clare money because he didn't want a divorce.· I want a divorce from our deal.· I want a divorce, Julius.· She can say All right, you want your divorce?· The first time it was me who wanted a divorce, but the second time it wasn't my choice.· I hate him and I wanted to get a divorce.· But earlier this year she told him she wanted a divorce.· I am in love with the King and I want a divorce.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[countable, uncountable] the legal ending of a marriage: - It is the divorce papers that are being discussed at Camp David.
- Now it seems that Mom has her head in the medicine cabinet and divorce papers in her hand.
- Wagenbach deferred ruling on the divorce papers until the state seeks to introduce them as evidence.
Why doesn’t she get a divorce? One in three marriages ends in divorce.file/sue/petition for divorce (=start the legal divorce process) His wife has started 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[countable usually singular] formal the fact of separating two related thingsdivorce between the divorce between theory and methodCOLLOCATIONSverbsget a divorce (=end your marriage)· Their marriage had never been happy and in the end they got a divorce.go through a divorce (=experience getting a divorce)· I was going through a divorce and it was a very painful time.want a divorce· She told him she wanted a divorce.ask (somebody) for a divorce· She asked her husband for a divorce after he had been unfaithful.a marriage ends in divorce· Five years later, their marriage ended in divorce.file for divorce (also petition for divorce formal) (=start the legal divorce process)· The next day I saw a lawyer and filed for a divorce.adjectivesa bitter divorce (=involving very angry feelings)· After a long and bitter divorce, Wendy was looking forward to starting a new life.a messy divorce (=complicated and unpleasant to deal with)· She wanted to avoid a messy divorce .a painful divorce (=causing a lot of sadness)· I have been through a painful divorce, and know what it feels like.divorce + NOUNthe divorce rate (=the number of people who get a divorce)· The country has a high divorce rate.divorce proceedings (=the legal processes of getting a divorce)· His first marriage was unsuccessful and led to long divorce proceedings.a divorce settlement (=the amount of money, property etc each person gets in a divorce)· She received a $10 million divorce settlement from her first husband.a divorce case (=a legal case dealing with a divorce)· It was the biggest divorce case that an English court has dealt with.a divorce lawyer/court (=one dealing with divorce)· She's a famous New York divorce lawyer.divorce papers (=documents concerning a divorce)· My husband refused to sign the divorce papers.phrasesgrounds for divorce (=acceptable reasons for divorce, according to the law)· Violence and neglect are grounds for divorce.divorce1 noundivorce2 verb
divorcedivorce2 ●●● S2 W3 verb VERB TABLE
divorce
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | divorce |
| he, she, it | divorces | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | divorced |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have divorced |
| he, she, it | has divorced | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had divorced |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will divorce |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have divorced |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am divorcing |
| he, she, it | is divorcing | |
| you, we, they | are divorcing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was divorcing |
| you, we, they | were divorcing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been divorcing |
| he, she, it | has been divorcing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been divorcing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be divorcing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been divorcing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Finally, after years of unhappy marriage, Eva divorced Stanley.
- He kept promising her that he would divorce his wife, but he never actually did it.
- Petra's parents divorced when she was about seven years old.
- She's afraid of what her husband might do if she tries to divorce him.
- We divorced after six years of marriage.
- But when he was eight or nine, Margo and her husband divorced.
- Griffiths too had been married and divorced.
- I always say though, that you know, you divorce them.
- I think he may have wanted to divorce her, but it never got to that point.
- Maybe her husband, who had divorced her?
- The couple divorced after Lott went off to college.
- You see, she was four months pregnant when they divorced.
THESAURUS
to legally end your marriage: · After seven years, they decided to divorce.· She divorced him six months after they were married.
to start to live apart from your husband or wife because of problems in your marriage: · They argued all the time and in the end agreed to separate.· She separated from her husband and moved to a flat in London.
to end a marriage or a romantic relationship: · When Andy was nine, his parents split up.· He's just broken up with his girlfriend.
to stop living with your husband, wife, or partner, often because you are having a relationship with someone else: · Her husband left her for a younger woman after 27 years of marriage.· Dan's left me.
Longman Language Activatorto get divorced to legally end your marriage: · My parents got divorced last year.· Before getting divorced, you should think carefully about the effect it will have on the children.
if someone divorces their husband or wife, or if two people divorce, they legally end their marriage: · Finally, after years of unhappy marriage, Eva divorced Stanley.· He kept promising her that he would divorce his wife, but he never actually did it.· Petra's parents divorced when she was about seven years old.
the legal process of ending a marriage: · I've only seen my ex-wife once since the divorce.· Gwen has just been through a bitter divorce.get a divorce: · It's much too easy to get a divorce nowadays.ask (somebody) for a divorce: · Caroline's husband asked her for a divorce and she agreed.end in divorce: · A third of all marriages in Britain end in divorce.divorce rate (=the number of divorces each year): · The divorce rate has risen steadily since the 1950s.
if a husband and wife separate , they no longer live together, usually because they intend to get divorced: · Linda and George have only been married for a year and they're already thinking of separating.· Anne and I separated for three months, but we are now together again.
informal if two people split up , they end their marriage or they stop having a romantic relationship: · They're always arguing but I don't think they'll ever split up.split up with: · Have you heard? Katie's splitting up with Andrew!
someone who is divorced someone who is divorced has officially ended their marriage: · Sue's parents are divorced.· At twenty-five Maria is now divorced, and lives with her three children.· More than 80% of divorced men, and 75% of divorced women, go on to remarry.get divorced: · They got divorced only three years after they got married.
a woman who is legally no longer married to her former husband: · Pam is a divorcee who has to bring her baby daughter up on her own.· Most of the people on the holiday seemed to be divorcees.
if a husband and wife are separated , they do not live with each other, because they are not happy together any more, but they are not divorced: · David and I have been separated for the last six months, but we're not legally divorced yet.· I didn't know Linda and Mike were separated.separated from: · Victoria's separated from her husband and caring for her children alone.
also ex spoken informal the man or woman that someone was once married to: · I had a letter from my ex-wife yesterday.· Women who are attacked by their husbands or ex-husbands often fail to report them to the police.· My ex and I haven't spoken in years.
WORD SETSbaby, nounbarrier method, nounbetrothal, nounboy, nounBr., branch, nouncontraception, nouncousin, noundescendant, noundescent, noundistant, adjectivedivorce, noundivorce, verbdivorced, adjectivedivorcée, noundomestic, adjectivedowry, noundynasty, nounex, nounextended family, nounfamilial, adjectivefamily man, nounfamily planning, nounfamily tree, nounfather, nounfather-in-law, nounfiancé, nounfiancée, nounfilial, adjectivefirst cousin, noungodchild, noungoddaughter, noungrandad, noungrandaddy, noungrandchild, noungranddad, noungranddaddy, noungranddaughter, noungrandfather, noungrandma, noungrandmother, noungrandpa, noungrandparent, noungrandson, noungranny, nounhalf-brother, nounhalf-sister, nounhereditary, adjectivehouse husband, nounin-laws, nounintermarry, verbmaiden aunt, nounmaid of honour, nounmam, nounmama, nounmamma, nounmammy, nounman, nounmarital, adjectivematrimony, nounmiscegenation, nounmixed marriage, nounmonogamy, nounnuclear family, nounoedipal, adjectiveOedipus complex, nounone-parent family, nounparent, nounparentage, nounparental, adjectiveparenthood, nounparenting, nounpaternity, nounpaternity suit, nounpatriarch, nounpatriarchy, nounpedigree, nounpolygamy, nounpropinquity, nounproposal, nounrelative, nounscion, nounseparate, verbseparated, adjectiveseparation, nounsibling, nounsingle parent, nounsister, nounsister-in-law, nounstepbrother, nounstepchild, nounstepdaughter, nounstepfather, nounstepmother, nounstepsister, nounstepson, noununcle, noununion, noununmarried, adjectiveupbringing, nounwedding, nounwedlock, nounwhite wedding, nounwidow, nounwidower, nounwidowhood, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The Morrisons have filed for divorce. Mental cruelty can be grounds for divorce. More and more couples are petitioning for divorce. He is being sued for divorce (=in order to end a marriage) by his wife.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
The Morrisons have filed for divorce. Mental cruelty can be grounds for divorce.· an accountant who knows about tax law
More and more couples are petitioning for divorce.· His wife had threatened to start divorce proceedings.
· The UK has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe.
(=not connected in any way to what is really happening)· His ideas are completely divorced from reality.
(=an agreement about money and property at the end of a marriage)· She acquired full ownership of the building in her 1986 divorce settlement.
He is being sued for divorce (=in order to end a marriage) by his wife.· The couple, who divorced last June, had parted several times.· The couple divorced in 1992, then attempted a yearlong reconciliation starting in May 1993.· Since his arrest in 1991 the couple have divorced.· Three years later the couple divorced.· The couple divorced after Lott went off to college.· The marriage broke down in 1934, but the couple were never divorced.
· Maybe her husband, who had divorced her?· She had a husband, but she divorced him.· Her husband quickly divorced her and married again.· She has long since forgiven her husband, whom she divorced before she knew he was ill.· She lost the baby and she and her husband divorced three years later.· But when he was eight or nine, Margo and her husband divorced.
· He looked more closely at her, remembering her: she was the child from Sea House, her parents were divorced.· His parents divorced before his second birthday.· In 1989, the number of children under 16 with parents who divorced was 148 thousand.· My parents were divorced when I was six months old.· But then, in 1986, my father left home and my parents were divorced.· Music and creativity were always major factors in the Peyroux household before her parents were divorced, the singer recalls.· They were the only pupils at Silfield school whose parents were divorced.· His parents told my parents, who are divorced.
· Accordingly, the ideologies they adopted were divorced from reality.· However hard they try, business schools are divorced from the realities of business.
· Adultery was the sole ground, but a wife could only divorce her husband if accompanied by some other matrimonial transgression.· The general and his wife were later divorced.· When she told him calmly about the baby, he had genuinely wished that his wife would divorce him.· His first two wives divorced him, citing his stinginess as their major complaint.· Crowley's wife divorced him on grounds of admitted adultery in 1910.· He and his second wife divorced last year.· A girl he had come to admire in Sumatra was brought to Java to be his third wife after he divorced Inggit.· Fuller and his wife were recently divorced, with his wife getting custody of their 3-year-old son Preston.
· My sister was divorced two years ago, and he doesn't really get on with her.· She married a man 15 years her senior and they divorced five years later.· But soon afterwards we moved to London and got divorced three or four years later.· But they divorced five years later.· She'd been divorced for 12 years.· He left his wife six years ago and has been divorced for three years.· At twenty-five she had married a colonel, a career move, and divorced him three years later.· Barry had been divorced for twelve years, had been a member of Dateline but then had moved because of work.
VERB· She had been married and divorced since they had seen her.· Single, married, divorced or separated, or widowed, about 69 percent think women want to be married.· You've been married, divorced, spent 12 years apart, and then married again.· He married and divorced Ava Gardner.· I maintain that it should cost as much to get married as to get divorced.· They conceive a child, marry and quickly divorce at the grandparents' behest.· Griffiths too had been married and divorced.· They are married, divorced, separated, widowed, and never married.
· In the end Barry and Helen did separate and eventually they divorced.· Twenty percent of single women and 18 percent of women who are now separated or divorced answered yes.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- It is the divorce papers that are being discussed at Camp David.
- Now it seems that Mom has her head in the medicine cabinet and divorce papers in her hand.
- Wagenbach deferred ruling on the divorce papers until the state seeks to introduce them as evidence.
WORD FAMILYnoundivorcédivorceeadjectivedivorcedverbdivorce
1[intransitive, transitive] if someone divorces their husband or wife, or if two people divorce, they legally end their marriage: David’s parents divorced when he was six. My father threatened to divorce her.2[transitive] formal to separate two ideas, subjects etc completelydivorce something from something It is difficult to divorce sport from politics.3[transitive] to stop being involved in an activity, organization, situation etcdivorce yourself from something Our society has divorced itself from religion.GRAMMAR: Reciprocal verbsDivorce is a reciprocal verb. This type of verb is used when saying that two or more people or things do something that involves both or all of them: · Her mother and father divorced. You can also say: · Her mother divorced her father.· Her father divorced her mother. This suggests it was mainly the decision of one person to end the marriage.Grammar guide ‒ VERBSTHESAURUSdivorce to legally end your marriage: · After seven years, they decided to divorce.· She divorced him six months after they were married.separate to start to live apart from your husband or wife because of problems in your marriage: · They argued all the time and in the end agreed to separate.· She separated from her husband and moved to a flat in London.split up/break up to end a marriage or a romantic relationship: · When Andy was nine, his parents split up.· He's just broken up with his girlfriend.leave somebody to stop living with your husband, wife, or partner, often because you are having a relationship with someone else: · Her husband left her for a younger woman after 27 years of marriage.· Dan's left me.