dispossessed 1 of 2

Definition of dispossessednext

dispossessed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of dispossess
as in evicted
to end the occupancy or possession of opponents of gentrification claim that the process unfairly dispossesses poorer residents of their long-established homes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dispossessed
Adjective
Without the voices of the dispossessed, how can there be deconstruction? Audrey Clare Farley, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2022 And when Israel gained its independence in 1948, Zionism became the world’s first successful Indigenous movement of a dispossessed and colonized people regaining sovereignty in their Indigenous homeland. Micha Danzig, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2021
Verb
For me, the flashback is suggestive but not conclusive — maybe Arthur’s genuinely confused about the identity of the man in his house, or maybe this is his chance at revenge against the white men who have continually dispossessed his family and his people. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025 Like Dunbar’s speakers, Hughes’s dispossessed have no way out, and the poem implicitly refutes optimism regarding the Great Migration and racial progress. Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dispossessed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossessed
Adjective
  • There is a mandatory part of the academy scholarship where boys undertake community projects, working with schools in deprived areas close to St James’.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • After lawmakers in Germany determined that anonymous surrenders deprived children of the chance to learn anything about their parentage, Germany passed a confidential-birth law in 2014.
    Alana Semuels, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One of the most startling statistics from ImpactTulsa was that the highest percentage of children evicted were in pre-k and kindergarten, Pogemiller said.
    Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch, 17 Jan. 2026
  • In the middle of a Chicago winter, Dahlia is evicted because Joey, her boyfriend of three years, ran off with the little bit of savings the couple had.
    Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • According to a settlement announced Friday between the district and the California Attorney General’s Office, the district’s open enrollment process allegedly gave an advantage to higher income families, creating discriminatory barriers for students from disadvantaged groups.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The overwhelming majority of the students are economically disadvantaged and predominantly Hispanic, TEA data shows.
    Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Surely my imagination was not so impoverished?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
  • They are fascinated by this impoverished district of docks and shabby warehouses, associated in the popular imagination with Asian sailors, white slavery, and cholera.
    Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • On the other end of the spectrum are our urban and rural districts which have a substantially lower tax base and a larger number of underprivileged and non-native English Language speakers.
    Michael Maguire, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
  • Mourning co-founded his own family foundation in 1997, and six years later founded the Overtown Youth Center in Miami, a community center dedicated to giving underprivileged kids access to support, mentorship, academic help, after-school programs and enrichment opportunities.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • No matter the iteration, New York is a destitute trade partner, having already emptied its chamber for Towns and Bridges.
    Ricardo Sandoval, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
  • One million of these children are destitute, going without their most basic needs of staying warm, dry, clothed and fed being met, according to a 2023 study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which studies poverty and formulates policy to tackle it.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Smart entrepreneurs create magnetic pull instead of needy push.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Your mom friend is overly needy.
    Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The result of a dearth of lawyers willing to represent indigent clients is long wait times for trials or settlements being forced through.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 28 Jan. 2026
  • In the motion, Robertson described Flores as indigent and said his client was unable to retain immigration counsel.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dispossessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossessed. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on dispossessed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!