buyout

1 of 2

noun

buy·​out ˈbī-ˌau̇t 

1

: an act or instance of buying out

2

: a financial incentive offered to an employee in exchange for an early retirement or voluntary resignation

buy out

2 of 2

verb

bought out; buying out; buys out

transitive verb

1

: to purchase the share or interest of

2

: to purchase the entire stock-in-trade and the goodwill of (a business)

Examples of buyout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the Department of Homeland Security let go a third of CISA employees in 2025 through buyouts, early retirements, forced reassignments and sweeping layoffs. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 28 June 2026

In April, the company offered its first voluntary buyouts. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 27 June 2026

Verb

Either way, the store proved so successful that Noble bought out McCullough and his son after the first season. — Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026

These teams then acted in cutthroat ways to buy out or otherwise dump them, however, when their play declined. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing buyout

• leveraged buyout

Rhymes for buyout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout
• dugout

Legal Definition

buyout

1 of 2 noun

buy·​out ˈbī-ˌau̇t 

: an act or instance of buying out

buy out

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to purchase the share or interest of

2

: to purchase the entire tangible and intangible assets of (a business)