evict
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
-
has been evictingperfect progressive
Past
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evictedsimple
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had evictedperfect
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was evictingprogressive
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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
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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.
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
About six months later, Vivos sought to evict him, citing a rule against brandishing firearms—a rule added after he signed his lease.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
The act granted public housing agencies the authority to use leases to evict any tenant, household member, or guest engaged in any criminal activity on or near public housing premises.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
