evict
Americanverb (used with object)
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evicts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
evicted,
past participle, past
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evicting
present participle
-
to expel (a person, especially a tenant) from land, a building, etc., by legal process, as for nonpayment of rent.
- Synonyms:
- dislodge, dispossess, remove, eject
-
to throw or force out, as from a place, organization, or position.
He was evicted from office by a populist revolution.
-
to recover (property, titles, etc.) by virtue of superior legal title.
verb
-
to expel (a tenant) from property by process of law; turn out
-
to recover (property or the title to property) by judicial process or by virtue of a superior title
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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evictsimple
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evictssimple
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have evictedperfect
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has evictedperfect
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am evictingprogressive
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are evictingprogressive
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is evictingprogressive
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have been evictingperfect progressive
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has been evictingperfect progressive
Past
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evictedsimple
-
had evictedperfect
-
was evictingprogressive
-
were evictingprogressive
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had been evictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of evict
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English evicten, from Late Latin ēvictus “having recovered one's property by law,” Latin: past participle of ēvincere “to overcome, conquer, evince,” equivalent to ē- “from, out of; thoroughly” + vic- (past participle stem of vincere “to conquer”) + -tus past participle suffix; see evince, e- 1, victor
Explanation
Use the verb evict to say that a tenant is being forced to move out of his home, usually through legal action. If you don't pay your rent, eventually your landlord will evict you. Evict became part of the English language back in the 1530s. Based on the Latin word evincere, meaning "recover property, overcome and expel, conquer," even then it had a legal process attached to it. Before you evict someone, you have to complete official paperwork, though some landlords may succeed in evicting tenants without following the legal steps.
Vocabulary lists containing evict
Holes
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The Stars Beneath Our Feet
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Genesis Begins Again
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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:
After 10 years, how can she evict him?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Enfield Council sought to evict Toby Carvery over what it described as serious breaches of its lease, claiming the tree was felled without the council's knowledge or consent.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Durazo has authored successful legislation in Sacramento to close loopholes that make it easier for landlords to evict tenants and introduced legislation to create a tax credit for businesses that hire homeless people.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2026
“The government can evict you from what you thought was yours for so long,” said Bali Venkata Raju, a farmer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
The landlord is threatening to evict us because of the odor.
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
She added that before Plymouth evicts any tenants, it works with tenants to get them on a payment plan or other methods to pay off their debt.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2024
Anti-eviction activists stick a banner reading "Sareb evicts" against a wall as they wait for an eviction in Madrid, Spain, October 14, 2016.
From Reuters ● Apr. 5, 2022
“They’re worried, because if someone evicts them, where are they gonna go?”
From Washington Times ● Sep. 5, 2020
In a suggestive afterword, the novel’s translator, Naomi Lebowitz, notes how Per “restlessly evicts himself” from all those places which could offer him refuge.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 14, 2019
“I’m just saying, the Beiderman should be a man and show his face to us at least one time before he evicts us. We need an explanation!”
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
The makeshift settlement, long earmarked for demolition, was founded by residents evicted in Seoul's redevelopment drive ahead of the 1988 Olympic Games.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
It is being forced to, the way a homeowner under water on his mortgage does not so much decide to sell as get evicted by the arithmetic.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Just three days before, she had been evicted from a home on Argyle Avenue that once allegedly belonged to Cecil B. DeMille.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
They hired lawyers, but by early this year Ingalls and the others were all evicted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
They know it will take us months to get them evicted.
From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson
Baek's home burnt down in a recent blaze, evicting him to a life in temporary shelter.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
He and a team of admins take the role seriously, evicting inactive members—and those who break the rules.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The new rules also mean big changes for landlords, with some warning that there could be delays evicting bad tenants from their properties.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
Phoenix-area real-estate agent Neil Brooks said when his clients are considering renting out their homes, he encourages them to think through scenarios like evicting a tenant or getting sued.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
“It’s Mr. Beiderman, and he’s not evicting us. He’s not renewing our lease,” Mama said.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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.
