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

Centroid originally acquired TaylorMade for $1.7 billion in 2021, but now, the brand is expected to fetch a staggering $3.5 billion However, the divestiture plan isn't without complications. —Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025

This strategic approach has previously led to transformative actions such as the divestiture of Change Healthcare in 2020 and the divestiture of its European and Canadian retail businesses, which have unlocked considerable value for shareholders. —Joe Cornell, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

Coty made a $71.1 million loss on the divestiture of Skkn, Kim Kardashian’s beauty business, the company said in its third-quarter earnings. —Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 6 May 2025

Miranda Nazzaro Trump will meet on Wednesday with Vice President Vance, national security adviser Mike Waltz and other Cabinet officials to discuss TikTok divestiture proposals. —Julia Manchester, The Hill, 2 Apr. 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