evict
Americanverb (used with object)
-
evicts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
evicted,
past participle, past
-
evicting
present participle
-
to expel (a person, especially a tenant) from land, a building, etc., by legal process, as for nonpayment of rent.
- Synonyms:
- dislodge, dispossess, remove, eject
-
to throw or force out, as from a place, organization, or position.
He was evicted from office by a populist revolution.
-
to recover (property, titles, etc.) by virtue of superior legal title.
verb
-
to expel (a tenant) from property by process of law; turn out
-
to recover (property or the title to property) by judicial process or by virtue of a superior title
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
evictsimple
-
evictssimple
-
have evictedperfect
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has evictedperfect
-
am evictingprogressive
-
are evictingprogressive
-
is evictingprogressive
-
have been evictingperfect progressive
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has been evictingperfect progressive
Past
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evictedsimple
-
had evictedperfect
-
was evictingprogressive
-
were evictingprogressive
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had been evictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of evict
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English evicten, from Late Latin ēvictus “having recovered one's property by law,” Latin: past participle of ēvincere “to overcome, conquer, evince,” equivalent to ē- “from, out of; thoroughly” + vic- (past participle stem of vincere “to conquer”) + -tus past participle suffix; see evince, e- 1, victor
Explanation
Use the verb evict to say that a tenant is being forced to move out of his home, usually through legal action. If you don't pay your rent, eventually your landlord will evict you. Evict became part of the English language back in the 1530s. Based on the Latin word evincere, meaning "recover property, overcome and expel, conquer," even then it had a legal process attached to it. Before you evict someone, you have to complete official paperwork, though some landlords may succeed in evicting tenants without following the legal steps.
Vocabulary lists containing evict
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Three previous attempts to evict her were blocked by the courts and the case has received increasing media attention.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
You cannot evict a man from a house he has built himself.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
After 10 years, how can she evict him?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
The company would likely try to evict him—as it had done to others, he said the employee told him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
The act granted public housing agencies the authority to use leases to evict any tenant, household member, or guest engaged in any criminal activity on or near public housing premises.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
She added that before Plymouth evicts any tenants, it works with tenants to get them on a payment plan or other methods to pay off their debt.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2024
Anti-eviction activists stick a banner reading "Sareb evicts" against a wall as they wait for an eviction in Madrid, Spain, October 14, 2016.
From Reuters ● Apr. 5, 2022
In a suggestive afterword, the novel’s translator, Naomi Lebowitz, notes how Per “restlessly evicts himself” from all those places which could offer him refuge.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 14, 2019
A few years later, the investor evicts one tenant and moves into the house.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2018
“I’m just saying, the Beiderman should be a man and show his face to us at least one time before he evicts us. We need an explanation!”
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
María del Carmen Abascal became the face of that crisis last month, when she was evicted from her flat in Madrid after a court order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
"I want it to encourage people to fight and to help change the laws that have allowed me to be evicted," she added in the video, posted by the tenants' union.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
We created a floor under which you could owe rent but not be evicted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
On top of that, Roebuck’s son had recently evicted Jeramy from a house he owned.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
“I’d love to, but my roommate and I are actually about to get evicted from our apartment tomorrow, so...”
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Landlords complain that evicting tenants who stop paying rent can take months, leaving them to cover mortgage payments and other costs, and that changing rules on renting create legal uncertainty.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
In some states, evicting a tenant who does not pay can take up to six months.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Key elements of the legislation, including a ban on evicting tenants in England without a reason, come into force on Friday.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
He says she was working on evicting her son before she left on a midsummer trip to Norway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
“It’s Mr. Beiderman, and he’s not evicting us. He’s not renewing our lease,” Mama said.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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