divest
Americanverb (used with object)
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divests,
present (3rd person singular)
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divested,
past participle, past
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divesting
present participle
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to strip of clothing, ornament, etc..
The wind divested the trees of their leaves.
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to strip or deprive (someone or something), especially of property or rights; dispossess.
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to rid of or free from.
He divested himself of all responsibility for the decision.
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Law. to take away or alienate (property, rights, etc.).
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Commerce.
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to sell off.
to divest holdings.
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to rid of through sale.
The corporation divested itself of its subsidiaries.
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verb
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to strip (of clothes)
to divest oneself of one's coat
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to deprive or dispossess
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property law to take away an estate or interest in property vested (in a person)
Synonym Usage
See strip 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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divestsimple
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divestssimple
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have divestedperfect
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has divestedperfect
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am divestingprogressive
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are divestingprogressive
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is divestingprogressive
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have been divestingperfect progressive
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has been divestingperfect progressive
Past
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divestedsimple
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had divestedperfect
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was divestingprogressive
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were divestingprogressive
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had been divestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of divest
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin dīvestīre, equivalent to dī- di- 2 + vestīre “to dress”; see vest
Explanation
It could be your wine portfolio, your stake in a mining company, or even the extra coats that are taking up space in your closet. Whatever it is, when you divest something, you get rid of it. Divest is sort of a fancy way to say “dispose of.” It’s often used in a business context to describe companies or governments that divest some of their holdings by selling them off. It can also be used in the sense of taking something away from someone. For example if your boss becomes insane and power mad, his handlers may divest him of his title, meaning his position is taken away from him.
Vocabulary lists containing divest
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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Good Riddance
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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:
Kushner already holds a stake in the NBA’s Miami Heat that he will divest, according to the Athletic, and previously sold a stake in the league’s Memphis Grizzlies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Boeing announced an agreement Monday to divest its air taxi and two other technology ventures to Archer Aviation for a stake in the startup.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The insurers now have to divest of most of those assets by the end of the year, under a remediation plan with the state regulator in Delaware.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Delaware Life has until the end of year to divest of most of the investments, under a remediation plan with the state insurance regulator in Delaware.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Robert Oppenheimer could no more divest himself of political concerns than he could give up music and wine; they were all essential to his method of engaging with the outside world.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The certifying official notes that the filer “will be in compliance” only “once the filer divests these assets.”
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
It said Warsh will be in compliance only after he divests those holdings, which Warsh has agreed to do if he is confirmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Illumina must “restore the situation prevailing before” the acquisition, regulators said, and how Illumina divests itself of Grail also needs EU approval.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
The group divests Winterthur to French insurer AXA.
From Reuters ● Oct. 27, 2022
When Fancy pictures before the restless mind distant and unknown scenes, she divests them of all the rough realities which a nearer view and a tried experience find in them.
From The Runaway The Adventures of Rodney Roverton by Unknown
Advertising revenue fell 14% and the company felt the loss of South American television operations, Telefe and Chilevision, which it divested after the Ellison takeover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The overwhelming majority of concerns end in negotiated fixes: a divested subsidiary, a security agreement, more information-sharing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
“All of the President’s assets are held in fully discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions. Special Envoy Witkoff has divested from World Liberty Financial,” Kelly said in a statement.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
In March 2025 the multinational divested from the business, selling its shares - to Renaissance Africa Energy, a consortium of Nigerian indigenous oil companies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Cracker Barrel expects to meet or exceed its annual revenue outlook after divesting Maple Street Biscuit and completing a sale-leaseback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Now Xbox is laying off about 3,200 employees and divesting itself of five game studios, with CEO Asha Sharma calling for a “reset” of the business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
By divesting the rest of the struggling division, Yum!
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Asked about divesting from fossil fuels, Caballero said the transition away from fossil fuel companies will take time.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Here Mr. Wopsle was divesting himself of his Danish garments, and here there was just room for us to look at him over one another’s shoulders, by keeping the packing-case door, or lid, wide open.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
