evict

[ih-vikt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR evict ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to expel (a person, especially a tenant) from land, a building, etc., by legal process, as for nonpayment of rent.

to recover (property, titles, etc.) by virtue of superior legal title.

Origin of evict

1400–50; late Middle English evicten < Late Latin ēvictus having recovered one's property by law, Latin: past participle of ēvincere to overcome, conquer, evince), equivalent to ē- e-¹ + vic- (past participle stem of vincere; see victor) + -tus past participle suffix

Related formse·vic·tion, noune·vic·tor, nounnon·e·vic·tion, nounre·e·vict, verb (used with object)un·e·vict·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for evict

oust, eject, expel, dismiss, remove, dislodge, dispossess, chase, extrude, bounce, out, heave-ho

Examples from the Web for evict

Contemporary Examples of evict

In June, Pakistan launched an all-out military offensive in the region, ostensibly to evict all the militants from the area.
Obama’s Deadly Informants: The Drone Spotters of Pakistan
Umar Farooq, Syed Fakhar Kakakhel
November 12, 2014
A California family is struggling to evict their now-fired live-in nanny—and tenancy laws are on her side.
When Mrs. Doubtfire Won’t Leave
Keli Goff
June 28, 2014
Police came to evict Mark Kulis—and found a home wired to explode.
When Sovereign Citizens Snap
Caitlin Dickson
January 17, 2014
Tried to evict a guy who hadnt paid his mortgage in a few years.
13 Revelations From Reddit’s ‘Dirty Little Secret’ Thread Exposing Alleged Industry Secrets
Nina Strochlic
August 23, 2013
Bloomberg is afraid to evict you from the park because he is afraid his cops will hurt you if you resist.
How the Wall Street Protesters Win
Lee Siegel
October 14, 2011

Historical Examples of evict

The landlord was going to evict the Coquets on the fifth floor.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
Indians, like the Irish, will not pay rent, so we were compelled to evict them.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7
Elbert Hubbard
In any event, after filing his application, he would then be in a position to evict his enemies.
The Long Chance
Peter B. Kyne
However, after the battle the badgers ceased to try and evict him.
Lives of the Fur Folk
M. D. Haviland
These were the people who wanted to evict her from her house.
Leonora
Arnold Bennett

British Dictionary definitions for evict

evict

verb (tr)

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

Derived Formseviction, nounevictor, nounevictee, noun

Word Origin for evict

C15: from Late Latin ēvincere, from Latin: to vanquish utterly, from vincere to conquer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for evict

mid-15c., "recover (property) by judicial means," from Latin evictus, past participle of evincere "recover property, overcome and expel, conquer," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + vincere "conquer" (see victor). Sense of "expel by legal process" first recorded in English 1530s. Related: Evicted; evicting.