evict
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
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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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.
The U.S. military made strenuous efforts to distance itself from Israel when it mounted its Desert Storm campaign in 1991 to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
In East Corinth: For “Beetlejuice,” the movie studio built the facade of a house where Michael Keaton’s character had to evict the newlydeads played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
The first time the chests of chance were wheeled out to settle a banishment vote was back in episode five, when contestants couldn't decide whether to evict Reece or Amanda.
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026
They also point to other local regulations that make it challenging to evict tenants who don’t pay their rent.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026
Two years ago, she had tried to evict them on the pretext that relatives from China were coming to live there.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
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.
