Δεδομένου ότι αργεί ο απόπλους, το πλοίο περιμένει.

It means given that, since, or considering that.

In this sentence, it introduces the reason or background for what follows:

• Δεδομένου ότι αργεί ο απόπλους = Since the departure is delayed
• το πλοίο περιμένει = the ship is waiting

It is a fairly formal expression, more common in writing or careful speech than in everyday conversation.

For a learner, the easiest approach is to treat δεδομένου ότι as a fixed expression meaning given that.

Historically, δεδομένου comes from a participle meaning given, but in modern Greek you usually do not need to break it apart every time you see it. Just learn:

• δεδομένου ότι = given that / since

That is the most practical way to handle it.

Yes, Δεδομένου ότι sounds formal or written.

More everyday alternatives would be:

• επειδή = because / since
• αφού = since / as

So a more natural everyday version might be:

• Επειδή αργεί ο απόπλους, το πλοίο περιμένει.

The meaning is similar, but δεδομένου ότι sounds more official or explanatory.

Here αργεί means is late or is delayed.

The verb is αργώ, which often means:

• to be late
• to take a long time

With something like ο απόπλους (the departure / sailing), Greek can say αργεί where English might prefer is delayed.

So:

• αργεί ο απόπλους = the departure is late / delayed

Because Greek often expresses this idea more directly with a verb meaning is late.

English commonly uses:

• the departure is delayed

Greek can naturally use:

• ο απόπλους αργεί

This is a good example of how Greek and English often express the same idea with different grammar. Greek does not always match the English passive structure.

Ο απόπλους is a noun meaning departure, specifically the sailing/departure of a ship.

It is a more nautical or somewhat formal word. A more general word for departure would be:

• η αναχώρηση

So ο απόπλους is especially appropriate because the sentence is about a ship.

Greek uses the definite article very often, including with nouns that English may sometimes leave more bare.

Here ο απόπλους means:

• the departure
• more specifically, the ship’s departure / the scheduled sailing

The article shows that this is a specific departure, not the general idea of departure.

Because Greek word order is much more flexible than English word order.

Both of these are possible:

• Ο απόπλους αργεί
• Αργεί ο απόπλους

The second version, with the verb first, is very natural in Greek. The subject is still clearly ο απόπλους because of the article ο and the noun’s form.

So unlike English, Greek does not always need subject + verb order.

It can mean both.

Greek present tense often covers both:

• waits
• is waiting

So:

• το πλοίο περιμένει can mean the ship waits or, more naturally in English, the ship is waiting

English usually chooses between simple present and progressive, but Greek often uses the same present-tense form for both.

Greek often leaves out subject pronouns like he, she, or it, because the verb ending already gives a lot of information.

But here the subject is not a pronoun — it is a full noun phrase:

• το πλοίο = the ship

So it is normally stated.

You could omit it only if the context already made it obvious what is waiting. In isolation, το πλοίο περιμένει is the natural full sentence.

No, it does not need an object here.

Περιμένω can be used:

• with an object: Περιμένω το λεωφορείο = I’m waiting for the bus
• without an object: Περιμένω = I’m waiting

So το πλοίο περιμένει is perfectly normal and means the ship is waiting, without saying exactly what it is waiting for.

In this expression, δεδομένου ότι is the normal and standard form.

While ότι and πως can sometimes both introduce clauses, with δεδομένου the usual combination is:

• δεδομένου ότι

So this is the form you should learn and use.

Because the sentence begins with a subordinate clause:

• Δεδομένου ότι αργεί ο απόπλους = dependent clause
• το πλοίο περιμένει = main clause

In Greek, when a clause like this comes first, it is normally separated from the main clause with a comma.

So the punctuation works much like English:

• Since the departure is delayed, the ship is waiting.

Yes, that is grammatically possible.

It would simply place the main clause first and the reason after it:

• Το πλοίο περιμένει, δεδομένου ότι αργεί ο απόπλους.

The meaning stays essentially the same. The original version puts slightly more emphasis on the reason first.

It is grammatical and clear, but it sounds somewhat formal, mainly because of:

• Δεδομένου ότι
• απόπλους

In everyday speech, a speaker might choose simpler words, for example:

• Επειδή αργεί η αναχώρηση, το πλοίο περιμένει.

That said, the original sentence is perfectly good Greek, especially in formal, written, or official contexts.