eviction

American  

[ih-vik-shuhn] / ɪˈvɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the act of forcing a tenant, or sometimes a squatter, to vacate a property (often used attributively).

   A local mother and her two daughters were given a court-ordered eviction, with four days to leave their apartment.

   When the rent got far enough behind, the landlord finally sent the tenants an eviction notice.

2. the act of forcing someone to leave; expulsion.

   He is facing potential eviction from the Senate for failure to pay the costs of his unsuccessful legal battle.

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Usage

What is an eviction moratorium? An eviction moratorium is an order that prohibits, under certain circumstances, landlords and property owners from evicting tenants, typically for not paying rent. In 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order was intended to prevent people from losing a place to stay due to inability to pay rent upon losing income—ultimately to prevent further spread of the virus. The CDC’s moratorium did not release tenants from their requirement to pay rent and did not prohibit eviction for reasons beyond failure to pay rent, such as criminal activity. The first CDC moratorium was issued on September 4, 2020, and was extended multiple times before expiring on July 31, 2021. At the time of its expiration, searches on Dictionary.com for the words eviction and moratorium increased. On August 3, 2021, the CDC issued another eviction moratorium in response to a rise in cases related to the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. The second moratorium was narrower, only applying to counties with significantly high rates of COVID-19 infections. It was set to be in effect until October 3, 2021.

Other Word Forms

• noneviction noun

Etymology

Origin of eviction

First recorded in 1450–1500, for an earlier sense; from Latin ēvictiōn-, stem of ēvictiō “recovery of one's property by law,” from ēvincere “to overcome, conquer”; evict ( def. ), -ion ( def. )

Explanation

An eviction is when a renter or tenant is forced to move out by a property owner. If you don't pay rent for months, you run the risk of eviction. It's most often a landlord who brings an eviction against someone who's renting an apartment or house. In most states, an eviction follows some kind of legal action — the landlord usually has to prove that the tenant hasn't paid rent or isn't following the terms of the lease. The Late Latin root of the word eviction is evictionem, "recovery of property by judicial decision."

Example Sentences

Actor Mickey Rourke has broken his silence on the alleged “unacceptable” living conditions that prompted him to withhold over $59,000 in rent after he defaulted in his eviction case.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

That is the discount on the portfolios of Wall Street landlords who are being threatened with eviction from parts of the housing market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Following another court hearing, Barett is facing eviction from the multi-million-pound apartment in Monaco she has called home for years.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

“The eviction defense program is a city program and is in zero jeopardy,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

I don’t want Ray to see the eviction notice, or the mess our home has become.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• dispossession
• ejection
• expulsion
• ouster
• removal