deaccession

Or de-ac·ces·sion

[dee-ak-sesh-uhn]

verb (used with object)

1. to sell (a work of art) from a museum's or gallery's collections, especially with a view to acquiring funds for the purchase of other works.

verb (used without object)

1. to deaccession a work of art from a museum's or gallery's collections.

noun

1. a deaccessioned work of art.

Word History and Origins

Origin of deaccession¹

First recorded in 1970–75; de- + accession

Example Sentences

Restricted funds can include money raised through the deaccession and sale of art donated to a museum’s collection.

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This is a bit of a switch for Tefaf, the grand old art fair started in Maastricht, the Netherlands, which started off as a place to buy deaccessioned museum pieces and bona fide old masters.

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When public art is deaccessioned, Clark explained, it legally has to be destroyed, so she sought permission from those artists to reuse some of their materials in “What You Have Become.”

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Valparaiso’s announcement alarmed art associations because of a long-held principle among museums: Revenue from deaccessioned pieces should be used to acquire new works, not for operating costs.

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The British Museum is prevented by law from "deaccessioning" items in its collection.

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