Verb

scheiden

Translation

to divorce, to separate, to part, to depart

Sie haben sich scheiden lassen.

They got divorced.

Hier scheiden sich die Wege.

Here the paths diverge.

Er musste aus dem Leben scheiden.

He had to depart from this life.

sich scheiden lassen ((von+3)) to get divorced (from sb.) She got divorced from him.

((et4)) ((von+3)) to separate (sth.) from (sth.) One must separate the good from the bad.

((aus+3)) to depart from (sth.) He has departed from office.

Synonyms: trennen (to separate); Antonyms: heiraten (to marry), verbinden (to connect)

From Old High German 'sceidan' (to divide, split), related to English 'shed' (to cast off).

Think of a 'shearing' or 'shedding' action. 'Scheiden' implies a formal, often final, separation, like in divorce or departing from life.