parting

1 of 3

noun

part·​ing ˈpär-tiŋ How to pronounce parting (audio)
Synonyms of partingnext
: a place or point where a division or separation occurs
see also:
parting of the ways

parting

2 of 3

adjective

: given, taken, or done at parting
a parting kiss

parting

3 of 3

present participle of part entry 2

Synonyms of parting

Relevance

Noun

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of parting in a Sentence

Noun I feared the morning, for I knew that our parting would be difficult. On parting, he took my hand and promised to return. “Good-night, good-night! Parting is such sweet sorrow…” —Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet the parting of the Red Sea Adjective His parting words to me were “Be patient.” As her parting shot, she said that the other candidate simply did not understand the needs of the city's citizens.
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.
Noun
His carefully coiffed side parting is as immaculate as his smile, something which distinguishes him from the rest of his party whose members tend to grimace rather than grin. — Esme Nicholson, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026 Her hair, in a zig-zag parting, cascades in soft, glossy waves. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026 My mother was never one for parting phrases, mainly because she was overwhelmed by a form of timidity that verged on self-erasure. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026 Instead, Iamaleava is remembered for his tumultuous exit from Knoxville, a parting characterized by head coach Josh Heupel that the program would move on without its starting signal-caller, leading the Long Beach product to UCLA. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for parting

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of parting was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing parting

Rhymes for parting

See All Rhymes for parting

Browse Nearby Words

parti-mortgage certificate
parting
parting flask
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Parting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parting. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

parting

1 of 2 noun
part·​ing ˈpärt-iŋ How to pronounce parting (audio)
1
: separation sense 1, division
2
: a place where a division or separation occurs
a parting of the ways
3
: leave-taking
shake hands at parting

parting

2 of 2 adjective
1
: being in the process of departing
2
: serving to divide : separating
3
: given, taken, or performed at parting
a parting kiss

More from Merriam-Webster on parting

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about parting

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of matriculate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All