Disembark means to get off a ship, airplane, or other vehicle, especially after a journey. When passengers disembark from a cruise ship, they walk down the gangway onto the dock. When travelers disembark from an airplane, they exit through the door and enter the terminal.

Think of a field trip where your class embarks on the bus in the morning and disembarks when you arrive at the museum. The prefix “dis-” signals the reversal: you're doing the opposite of boarding.

You'll most often hear disembark with boats and planes, though technically you could disembark from a train or bus too. The word carries a slightly formal tone. While you might casually say “we got off the plane,” an announcement might say “passengers may now disembark.” Military troops disembark from transport ships. Explorers disembark on new shores. The word suggests completing a voyage and arriving somewhere significant.