dispossessed

[dis-puh-zest]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dispossessed¹

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

Example Sentences

He believes that those at the heart of the protests were the "dispossessed".

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He has spent a decade organizing among the poor and dispossessed, including with the Kairos Center and the Poor People’s Campaign.

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But he was unique among the Democrats in speaking directly to the disaffected and dispossessed middle class.

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Those who protest are dispossessed of their property, even their land.

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He posted on X: "The Holy Father dedicated his life to serving the poor and dispossessed. "

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Related Words

• destitute 
• disadvantaged 
• needy 
• underprivileged