dispossessed

American  

[dis-puh-zest] / ˌdɪs pəˈzɛst /

adjective

1. evicted, as from a dwelling, land, etc.; ousted.

2. without property, status, etc., as wandering or displaced persons; rootless; disfranchised.

3. having suffered the loss of expectations, prospects, relationships, etc.; disinherited; disaffiliated; alienated.

   The modern city dweller may feel spiritually dispossessed.

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Etymology

Origin of dispossessed

First recorded in 1590–1600; dispossess + -ed ²

Explanation

Someone who's dispossessed has had something important, like their home or their sense of safety and security, taken away from them. Most people who are described as dispossessed have lost their possessions, the things that belonged to them. This usually includes essential things including a place to live, a homeland, or basic rights. The word possess, or "own," is at the heart of this adjective, from a Latin root meaning "to have and hold," or "to control." Taking away someone's property, or their ability to control their own life, leaves them dispossessed.

Example Sentences

With six minutes of regular time remaining, he dispossessed an opponent, surged forward and coolly fired the ball into the net.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Goldblatt’s pictures from before these events are touristic and from afterward elegiac; particularly moving are his portraits of the dispossessed, showing their bitterness and their dignity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Swede Elanga dispossessed Fulham defender Ryan Sessegnon before feeding Osula out on the right.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025

In the golden age of mobility, the winners were the dispossessed.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2025

Discharged with or without honor, fired with or without severance, dispossessed with or without notice, they hung around for a while and then could not imagine themselves anywhere else.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

• destitute
• disadvantaged
• needy
• underprivileged