divest

di·vest

verb \dī-ˈvest, də-\

Definition of DIVEST

transitive verb

1

a : to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title b : to undress or strip especially of clothing, ornament, or equipment c : rid, free

2

: to take away from a person

— di·vest·ment \-ˈves(t)-mənt\ noun

Examples of DIVEST

1. The company is divesting 8 of its 20 stores.
2. We may have to divest assets to raise capital.

Origin of DIVEST

alteration of devest

First Known Use: 1623

Related to DIVEST

Synonyms: dispossess, expropriate, oust

Antonyms: burden, encumber, saddle

Related Words: deforce, evict; disfurnish, strip; bereave, deprive, disinherit; annex, appropriate, commandeer, impound, seize, take over, usurp

Near Antonyms: bog (down), fetter, hamper, restrain, shackle, subject, weigh down, weight (down)

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

Rhymes with DIVEST

abreast, abscessed, appressed, armrest, arrest, at best, at rest, attest, backrest, beau geste, bed rest, behest, bequest, blood test, congest, conquest, contest, crow's nest, depressed, detest, devest, digest, distressed, egest, eighth rest, field-test, flight-test, footrest, gabfest, half rest, hard-pressed, headrest, high-test, hillcrest, hope chest, houseguest, imprest, incest, infest, ingest, inquest, interest, invest, Key West, lovefest, love nest, Mae West, mare's nest, Midwest, molest, northwest, patch test, posttest, pretest, professed, protest, redbreast, repressed, request, revest, road test, scratch test, screen test, sea chest, skin test, slop chest, slugfest, southwest, spot test, steam chest, stress test, suggest, Trieste, t-test, unblessed, undressed, unrest, unstressed, war chest, whole rest, Wild West