divestiture

noun

di·​ves·​ti·​ture dī-ˈve-stə-ˌchu̇r 

-chər,

də-,

 chiefly Southern  -t(y)u̇(ə)r

1

: the act of divesting

2

: the compulsory transfer of title or disposal of interests (such as stock in a corporation) upon government order

Examples of divestiture in a Sentence

Divestitures are used to break up monopolies.

Before divestiture, the telephone company monopolized the state.

Recent Examples on the Web

There definitely is pent up demand for mergers and acquisitions as well as divestitures. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025

International sales part of sluggish performance P&G’s cuts come after its 2024 organic sales growth (which excludes the impact of foreign exchange, acquisitions and divestitures) slowed to a seven-year low. —Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025

In Tuesday’s complaint, the FTC asked the court to end the agreement and weigh a potential divestiture of assets. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025

Trump signed an executive order Thursday putting his stamp of approval on the deal, declaring that the terms of the agreement fulfill the requirements for a divestiture under the law. —Julia Shapero, The Hill, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

divest + -iture (as in investiture)

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for divestiture

• investiture
• vestiture

Legal Definition

divestiture

noun

di·​ves·​ti·​ture dī-ˈves-ti-ˌchu̇r, də-, -chər 

1

: the sale or transfer of title to a property (as an operating division) under court order (as in bankruptcy)

2

: the sale of an asset (as a business division) that is unprofitable, does not enhance a corporate restructuring, or is felt to be morally reprehensible