divest
Americanverb (used with object)
-
divests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
divested,
past participle, past
-
divesting
present participle
-
to strip of clothing, ornament, etc..
The wind divested the trees of their leaves.
-
to strip or deprive (someone or something), especially of property or rights; dispossess.
-
to rid of or free from.
He divested himself of all responsibility for the decision.
-
Law. to take away or alienate (property, rights, etc.).
-
Commerce.
-
to sell off.
to divest holdings.
-
to rid of through sale.
The corporation divested itself of its subsidiaries.
-
verb
-
to strip (of clothes)
to divest oneself of one's coat
-
to deprive or dispossess
-
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
-
divestsimple
-
divestssimple
-
have divestedperfect
-
has divestedperfect
-
am divestingprogressive
-
are divestingprogressive
-
is divestingprogressive
-
have been divestingperfect progressive
-
has been divestingperfect progressive
Past
-
divestedsimple
-
had divestedperfect
-
was divestingprogressive
-
were divestingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Good Riddance
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
If the combined company does not cure a shortfall within six months, it must divest its 49% stake in Miramax.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Uber would need to fully divest of its 13.5% stake in Grab, which “makes little strategic sense” given Foodpanda’s much smaller regional footprint and likely lower strategic value, Mittal says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Bonta was expected to ask Paramount to divest some cable channels and commit to keeping its movie studio separate from Warner Bros.,
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Kushner, already a minority owner in the Miami Heat, must first divest from that team before the Lakers sale can be finalized, and the transaction must be approved by the NBA board of governors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
She saw him signal to Jesper and Big Bolliger to divest themselves of weapons.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
The certifying official notes that the filer “will be in compliance” only “once the filer divests these assets.”
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
The Office of Government Ethics conditionally certified Warsh’s preconfirmation filing, saying he’ll be in compliance after he divests certain holdings, which Warsh has agreed to do if confirmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 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 description, given by those who are impartial judges, rather divests Rosa of the poetical romance that her son has cast around her memory.
From Lafcadio Hearn by Nina H. Kennard
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
The White House says he has divested from World Liberty and follows all applicable laws.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 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
Tishman Speyer is no stranger to the famous 77-story office tower: the developer bought the lease at auction in 1997 and finished fully divesting from it in 2019.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Bonta previously has said his preference would be structural remedies — divesting key business units — rather than “behavioral” compromises that could evaporate soon after the merger closed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
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
By divesting the rest of the struggling division, Yum!
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 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
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
