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)
Related Words
See strip 1.
Other Word Forms
- divestible adjective
- divestiture noun
- undivested adjective
Etymology
Origin of divest
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin dīvestīre, equivalent to dī- di- 2 + vestīre “to dress”; vest
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.
There would be no venue divestitures, though the company agreed to divest 13 exclusive booking agreements with amphitheaters, as well as open its amphitheaters to all promoters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
The company, which owns 56 of the United States’ highest-grossing amphitheaters, has to divest 13 of those stages, release them from their exclusive Ticketmaster contracts, and agree never to reacquire them.
From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026
Fox Business reported that Live Nation would also divest 13 amphitheaters.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 9, 2026
Under the pending legal agreement, Live Nation would have to divest more than 10 of its venues and Ticketmaster would also have to cap service fees at 15%.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
She saw him signal to Jesper and Big Bolliger to divest themselves of weapons.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
