divest
Americanverb (used with object)
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to strip of clothing, ornament, etc..
The wind divested the trees of their leaves.
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to strip or deprive (someone or something), especially of property or rights; dispossess.
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to rid of or free from.
He divested himself of all responsibility for the decision.
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Law. to take away or alienate (property, rights, etc.).
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Commerce.
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to sell off.
to divest holdings.
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to rid of through sale.
The corporation divested itself of its subsidiaries.
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verb
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to strip (of clothes)
to divest oneself of one's coat
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to deprive or dispossess
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property law to take away an estate or interest in property vested (in a person)
Related Words
See strip 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of divest
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin dīvestīre, equivalent to dī- di- 2 + vestīre “to dress”; see vest
Explanation
It could be your wine portfolio, your stake in a mining company, or even the extra coats that are taking up space in your closet. Whatever it is, when you divest something, you get rid of it. Divest is sort of a fancy way to say “dispose of.” It’s often used in a business context to describe companies or governments that divest some of their holdings by selling them off. It can also be used in the sense of taking something away from someone. For example if your boss becomes insane and power mad, his handlers may divest him of his title, meaning his position is taken away from him.
Vocabulary lists containing divest
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
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Good Riddance
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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.
She also would seek to divest holdings such as fossil fuels, weapons manufacturers and surveillance technology from state employee pension funds.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Warsh has pledged to divest nearly all of his investments if he becomes Fed chair.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Warsh declined to answer the question directly, but said he planned to divest his holdings if and when confirmed as Fed chairman.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
But numerous states pursued the case, and they could still ask for the company to divest Ticketmaster.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026
Robert Oppenheimer could no more divest himself of political concerns than he could give up music and wine; they were all essential to his method of engaging with the outside world.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
