deaccession

American  

[dee-ak-sesh-uhn] / ˌdi ækˈsɛʃ ən /

Or de-accession

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.

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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.

Etymology

Origin of deaccession

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

I tried to deaccession her from this story, to put her out of my mind, but I couldn't.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2022

“You don’t deaccession anything in a museum easily, nor should you. And the process is a pain. But there was no resistance or debate,” she said.

From Washington Post • Oct. 11, 2022

The BMA paused a sale of artworks that could have violated deaccession rules.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2020

The gift stipulates that the museum cannot deaccession the works.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2020