divest
Americanverb (used with object)
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divests,
present (3rd person singular)
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divested,
past participle, past
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divesting
present participle
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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)
Synonym Usage
See strip 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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divestsimple
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divestssimple
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have divestedperfect
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has divestedperfect
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am divestingprogressive
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are divestingprogressive
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is divestingprogressive
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have been divestingperfect progressive
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has been divestingperfect progressive
Past
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divestedsimple
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had divestedperfect
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was divestingprogressive
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were divestingprogressive
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had been divestingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Sacks held his initial role as a special government employee, which meant the Office of Government Ethics required his venture firm to divest some, but not all, of its AI holdings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Kasten insists Walter has no plans to divest from the Dodgers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
The Journal previously reported that the states will want Paramount to divest some cable channels and commit to keeping its movie studio separate from Warner Bros.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Kushner, already a minority owner in the Miami Heat, must first divest from that team before the Lakers sale can be finalized, and the transaction must be approved by the NBA board of governors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 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
The certifying official notes that the filer “will be in compliance” only “once the filer divests these assets.”
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
It said Warsh will be in compliance only after he divests those holdings, which Warsh has agreed to do if he is confirmed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
As the industry divests from the genre, those stories, including some of Henry’s, have migrated to streaming platforms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2025
Illumina must “restore the situation prevailing before” the acquisition, regulators said, and how Illumina divests itself of Grail also needs EU approval.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 12, 2023
An absolute divorce, even though for the husband's fault, divests the wife of dower, unless her right is saved by statute.
From Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman by Albert Sidney Bolles
Advertising revenue fell 14% and the company felt the loss of South American television operations, Telefe and Chilevision, which it divested after the Ellison takeover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Acting ICE Director David Venturella divested his Geo Group stock and recused himself from detention contracts involving the company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The White House says he has divested from World Liberty and follows all applicable laws.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
In March 2025 the multinational divested from the business, selling its shares - to Renaissance Africa Energy, a consortium of Nigerian indigenous oil companies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
“Historically, most officials have avoided these entanglements by divesting their prior business interests entirely,” Brown said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Tishman Speyer is no stranger to the famous 77-story office tower: the developer bought the lease at auction in 1997 and finished fully divesting from it in 2019.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
When the DOJ sent its counterproposal in January, it made no mention of divesting Ticketmaster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
By divesting the rest of the struggling division, Yum!
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Here Mr. Wopsle was divesting himself of his Danish garments, and here there was just room for us to look at him over one another’s shoulders, by keeping the packing-case door, or lid, wide open.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
