divorcement: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Literary, Legal/Archaic
Quick answer
What does “divorcement” mean?
The formal, legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The formal, legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
The state or fact of being divorced; a formal separation or ending of a connection, union, or relationship.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In modern standard English, 'divorce' is overwhelmingly preferred in both varieties. 'Divorcement' is understood but rare and stylistically marked. No significant regional preference for the term itself.
Connotations
Both varieties share the connotation of formality/archaism. It may imply a more deliberate, ceremonial, or absolute act of separation than the more common 'divorce'.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both corpora (BNC, COCA). More likely encountered in historical texts, formal legal documents (though modern law prefers 'divorce'), or literary prose.
Grammar
How to Use “divorcement” in a Sentence
divorcement from [abstract noun/concept]divorcement of [A] from [B]seek/obtain divorcementVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “divorcement” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The decree absolute will divorce them formally.
- They sought to divorce themselves from the scandal.
American English
- She filed the papers to divorce him.
- The artist divorced his style from tradition.
adverb
British English
- They are legally divorced.
- The concepts are utterly divorced from one another.
American English
- They are officially divorced.
- His actions were completely divorced from reality.
adjective
British English
- The divorce proceedings were acrimonious.
- They reached a divorce settlement.
American English
- He hired a divorce lawyer.
- The divorce rate has stabilized.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. 'Divorce' or 'separation' used for metaphorical splits (e.g., divorce between management and staff).
Academic
Rare. May appear in historical, sociological, or literary analyses discussing marriage laws or metaphors of separation.
Everyday
Extremely uncommon. The word 'divorce' is used in all everyday contexts.
Technical
Rare in modern legal technical writing, though may be found in older statutes or formal legal judgments.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “divorcement”
- Using 'divorcement' in casual conversation where 'divorce' is natural.
- Overusing the word to sound formal, resulting in unnatural style.
- Assuming it is the standard or only noun form.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Divorce' is the standard, everyday noun for ending a marriage. 'Divorcement' is a formal, literary, or archaic synonym that is rarely used in modern speech.
Yes, it can be used metaphorically to indicate a profound separation from an idea, reality, or group (e.g., 'a divorcement from truth'), but this is a literary usage.
No. Modern legal terminology predominantly uses 'divorce' (e.g., 'decree of divorce', 'divorce papers'). 'Divorcement' may appear in older legal texts.
For active use, no. It is more important for comprehension when reading older or very formal texts. For speaking and writing, always prefer 'divorce'.
The formal, legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
Divorcement is usually formal, literary, legal/archaic in register.
Divorcement: in British English it is pronounced /dɪˈvɔːsmənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /dɪˈvɔːrsmənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specific to 'divorcement'. The concept is expressed by idioms using 'divorce', e.g., 'divorce oneself from']”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DIVORCE + MENT (a formal state or action). It's the 'formal-ized' version of divorce.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIVORCEMENT IS A LEGAL/CEREMONIAL CUTTING OF TIES; DIVORCEMENT IS A COMPLETE SEPARATION OF ENTITIES.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'divorcement' MOST likely to be found?