embarkment

Embarkment refers to the act or process of embarking—getting onto or into a vehicle like a ship, plane, or train. The word embarkation means the same thing. Neither embarkment and embarkation are commonly used—a much more common synonym is boarding. Embark can also mean to start a journey, and embarkment can refer to the process of starting a journey. A similar word is departure. More generally, embarkment can be used to refer to the process of starting something, such as a business venture. A similarly general term is commencement.

The direct opposites of embarkment are disembarkment and disembarkation. A more common synonym of embarkment is boarding, and an antonym is deboarding, which is most commonly used in the context of airplanes (along with deplaning).