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

Albertsons owns Jewel, the largest Chicago-area grocery chain, which would have created significant overlap with Mariano’s stores, likely requiring divestitures of many locations. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025

Some legal experts say Trump's delays run afoul of the law banning TikTok, which allows for a single 90-day extension but only if certain conditions are met, like certifying to Congress that a divestiture from ByteDance is in motion. —John Ruwitch, NPR, 18 June 2025

During his first term, Trump sought a divestiture of TikTok from its China owner. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 June 2025

Jim forecasted that Honeywell’s aerospace may be an acquisition target once the divestiture is complete. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 21 May 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