sequestration

noun

se·​ques·​tra·​tion ˌsē-kwə-ˈstrā-shən  ˌse- 

(ˌ)sē-ˌkwe-

1

: the act of sequestering : the state of being sequestered

a jury in sequestration

2

a

: a legal writ authorizing a sheriff or commissioner to take into custody the property of a defendant who is in contempt until the orders of a court are complied with

b

: a deposit whereby a neutral depositary agrees to hold property in litigation and to restore it to the party to whom it is adjudged to belong

3

: the practice of imposing automatic government spending reductions by withholding appropriations by a fixed percentage that applies uniformly to all government programs except those exempted

4

: the process of sequestering something or the result of being sequestered

While the idea is a shift from traditional thinking on dealing with the greenhouse effect, carbon sequestration has been going on in nature for millennia in oceans and vegetation.

—Tom Rickey

Synonyms

• aloneness
• insulation
• isolation
• privacy
• secludedness
• seclusion
• segregation
• separateness
• solitariness
• solitude

Examples of sequestration in a Sentence

the sequestration of a jury

During their sequestration, jurors were not allowed to speak to reporters.

Recent Examples on the Web

Separately, the judge said Aidan Kearney, a local blogger who has closely covered the case and is also facing pending charges for allegedly intimidating witnesses, will be exempt from a witness sequestration order. —Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Pam Richart and Lan Richart, co-directors of the Eco-Justice Collaborative in Champaign, will discuss the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines and ban carbon dioxide sequestration under the Mahomet Aquifer, group officials said. —Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025

Some carbon credits provide additional benefits beyond carbon mitigation or sequestration that fit well with corporate policies. —Dee Lawrence, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

It's injected into legacy oil and gas wells for sequestration. —Ben Geman, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sequestration

• carbon sequestration

Rhymes for sequestration

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

sequestration

noun

se·​ques·​tra·​tion ˌsēk-wəs-ˈtrā-shən 

ˌsek-

: the act of sequestering : the state of being sequestered

Medical Definition

sequestration

noun

se·​ques·​tra·​tion ˌsēk-wəs-ˈtrā-shən  ˌsek- 

si-ˌkwes-

1

: the formation of a sequestrum

2

: the process of sequestering or result of being sequestered

Legal Definition

sequestration

noun

se·​ques·​tra·​tion ˌsē-kwəs-ˈtrā-shən, ˌse- 

1

: the act of sequestering : the state of being sequestered

2

a

: a writ authorizing an official (as a sheriff) to take into custody the property of a defendant usually to enforce a court order, to exercise quasi in rem jurisdiction, or to preserve the property until judgment is rendered

b

in the civil law of Louisiana : a deposit in which a neutral person agrees to hold property in dispute and to restore it to the party to whom it is determined to belong

3

: the cancellation of funds for expenditure or obligation in order to enforce federal budget limitations set by law