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

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

ByteDance's divestiture from TikTok was prompted by a 2024 law that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026

The green light doesn’t require any divestitures, behavioral remedies or concessions. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 13 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