divestiture
noun
di·ves·ti·ture
dī-ˈve-stə-ˌchu̇r 
-chər,
də-
chiefly Southern -t(y)u̇(ə)r
: the act of divesting: such as
a
: the voluntary act or process of divesting oneself of an asset (such as a business division) by sale, exchange, spin-off, etc.
b
: the compulsory transfer of title or disposal of assets or interests (such as stock in a corporation) upon government or court order (as in bankruptcy or antitrust enforcement)
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
Cantwell made public a December 8 letter from the Office of Government Ethics that said Bedford had not complied with the ethics agreement and had sought an amendment to extend the divestiture timeframe for the remaining conflicting asset, Republic Airways.
—
David Shepardson, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025
PepsiCo expects organic revenue growth of 2% to 4% next year and projects 4% to 6% reported net revenue growth after factoring in acquisitions, divestitures and currency impacts.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
Future Congresses, moreover, will review many of the decisions of the current Administration, and may recommend that regulators push for divestitures, which would undermine the strategic logic of this merger.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
Hufnagel and his team took swift action, including aggressive divestitures and cost-cutting measures such as the sales of Sperry and the Wolverine leather business.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divestiture
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David Shepardson, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025
PepsiCo expects organic revenue growth of 2% to 4% next year and projects 4% to 6% reported net revenue growth after factoring in acquisitions, divestitures and currency impacts.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025
Future Congresses, moreover, will review many of the decisions of the current Administration, and may recommend that regulators push for divestitures, which would undermine the strategic logic of this merger.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025
Hufnagel and his team took swift action, including aggressive divestitures and cost-cutting measures such as the sales of Sperry and the Wolverine leather business.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divestiture
Cite this Entry
“Divestiture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divestiture. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal 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
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