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

Organic revenue, which strips out acquisitions, divestitures and foreign currency, rose 1.2% in the quarter. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025

The remedies available under Florida’s RICO statute include injunctive relief, divestiture, dissolution, and treble damages. —Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Technically, the law allowed the president to delay a ban by 90 days if a divestiture deal was imminent. —Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025

This divestiture is part of a strategic shift to focus on AI solutions. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 1 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