departing for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "departing for" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating the destination or purpose of a departure, often in the context of travel or leaving for a specific place. Example: "We are departing for Paris tomorrow morning."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I certainly hadn't thought about him since departing for college.

The New Yorker

The Italians were departing for Italy after distributing humanitarian aid.

MIT Technology Review

Students are advised to have a check-up before departing for Dublin.

Cornell University

It is always your responsibility to obtain the required visas before departing for your program.

Stanford University

He worked at UBS's Tokyo office from about 2006 to 2009 before departing for Citigroup.

The New York Times

Before departing for England the French squad remained at Clairefontaine rather than return to their families.

Independent

The airplane is departing for another world... but no, that's too obvious.

The New York Times

A co-worker, departing for the night, stopped to ask what ailed her.

The New York Times

However, he is departing for the smaller Smiths Group still shy of his 50th birthday.

The Times

DOCTORS ON THE REPUBLIC Departing for Radiological Congress Abroad -- Five Ships Arrive From Foreign Ports.

The New York Times

He also paid visits to St. Patrick's Church and Catholic Charities before departing for New York.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "departing for" when you want to emphasize the leaving action and destination, especially in formal contexts like announcements or official reports.

Common error

Avoid using "departing for" in past tenses when describing ongoing or habitual actions. Instead of "He was always "departing for" business trips", use "He frequently departed for business trips" or "He was frequently leaving for business trips".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "departing for" functions as a prepositional phrase indicating direction and destination. As shown by Ludwig, it connects the action of leaving with a specific place.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Academia

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Science

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "departing for" is a grammatically correct and frequently used prepositional phrase that indicates the act of leaving one place to travel to another. According to Ludwig, it serves to specify the destination of the departure. It maintains a neutral register suitable for various contexts, particularly in news and media, academic, and general writing. The examples curated by Ludwig showcases its versatility, solidifying its place as a standard and widely understood expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Leaving for

Focuses on the act of leaving, emphasizing the origin rather than the destination.

Off to

A more casual and concise way of saying one is leaving for a place.

Setting off to

Emphasizes the beginning of a journey, highlighting the start of the travel.

Going to

Simple and direct way to express travel to a specific destination.

Traveling to

Highlights the act of travel, suitable for longer journeys or professional contexts.

Heading towards

Implies a direction of travel, often used when the destination is known but not immediate.

Moving towards

Can be used when physical movement is involved, emphasizes the intention to reach the specified destination.

Bound for

A more formal way to indicate the final destination of a journey.

Making their way to

Emphasizes the effort or process of travelling to a destination, suitable for describing groups or individuals.

En route to

Indicates being on the way to a specific location, emphasizing the journey itself.

FAQs

How can I use "departing for" in a sentence?

You can use "departing for" to indicate the act of leaving a place and heading towards a specific destination. For example, "The train is "departing for" Chicago in five minutes" or "She is "departing for" her new job tomorrow morning".

What are some alternatives to "departing for"?

Some alternatives include "leaving for", "heading to", or "setting off to", depending on the context.

Which is correct, "departing for" or "departing to"?

"Departing for" is the correct prepositional phrase to use when indicating the destination of a departure. "Departing to" is not grammatically correct.

Is "departing for" formal or informal?

"Departing for" is generally considered a neutral to formal expression. It is suitable for both news reports and academic writing. In informal conversation, "leaving for" or "going to" may be more common.