divest
Americanverb (used with object)
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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:
The companies previously said they would divest the business in order to address concerns, though Getty would later walk back on the offer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The University of Cambridge, which pledged to divest from fossil fuels in 2020, is now reportedly pulling investment dollars out of banks that finance the fossil fuel industry, according to Bloomberg.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
“This transaction allows Beach to divest a capex-intensive asset to a party that can achieve stronger returns,” Macquarie says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
The adage “sell in May and go away” suggests investors should divest their holdings in May and reinvest in November to bypass a period of typically low returns in the summer.
From Barron's ● May 25, 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
As the industry divests from the genre, those stories, including some of Henry’s, have migrated to streaming platforms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2025
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
He now divests himself of all his encumbrances; water vessels, food, cloak, assegai, and sandals are all left behind.
From From Veldt Camp Fires by Bryden, H.A.
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
The news echoes a move Verizon took last fall, when it divested itself of about 200 retail stores in conjunction with its largest-ever round of layoffs, which reduced its workforce by more than 13,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
There are no indicators as to why Guggenheim Partners divested from GEO Group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Since you bring it up: There is a five-year Medicaid look-back period for the program to review whether an individual has divested themselves of assets in order to qualify for benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 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
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
After divesting its auto parts business later this year, Modine will be a pure-play cooling company.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
A government ethics official certified Warsh will comply with ethics rules after divesting some holdings if confirmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 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.
