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

Net income attributable to Versant was down 30 percent at $211 million due to lower overall revenues and one-time costs following the separation from Comcast, including higher tax expenses after the divestiture of SportsEngine. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Scale versus growth Norstella estimates AstraZeneca could grow at about 5% annually through 2032 based on current consensus forecasts, while a combined company would grow closer to 1%, assuming no major divestitures or other changes. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026

So far, Bonta said, the company has not offered the sort of structural remedies — that is, divestitures of cable or film distribution assets — that would have to be part of a deal. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 July 2026

Employment effects were mixed, but the operating results favored divestiture in many settings. — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

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