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
Conover keeps his readers waiting for too long, almost half the book, before saying anything about how the San Luis Valley came to be a magnet for the dispossessed. — Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2022 Three days after his 10th birthday, his father, a depressed junkman, killed himself, and the experience of misfortune fueled the young artist’s identification with the dispossessed. — Peter Saenger, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022 Without the voices of the dispossessed, how can there be deconstruction? — Audrey Clare Farley, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2022
Verb
The youngster was dispossessed but the ball fell to Mac Allister, who curled his effort into the top corner. — Andy Jones, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 He was tackled and dispossessed with the ball on a trajectory to the goal. — Monica Alba, NBC news, 24 June 2026 The family owners of Fischer Bücherei were Jews of Hungarian origin, who had been dispossessed of their publishing house by the Nazis before it was returned to them after the war. — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 Kelsy dispossessed San Diego in its defensive third, cut back to evade a defender at the edge of the penalty area, and skipped a shot inside the near post to give the Timbers (3-5-1) a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute. — ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026 Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and in an instant dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century. — Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and, in an instant, dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century. — CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026 The growth of colonial Australian society came at the expense of the Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who were often dispossessed of their land, exposed to foreign diseases, and either pushed into marginal areas or forcibly assimilated into European culture. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026 As Morocco’s indigenous inhabitants, El Hammoumy continued, the Berbers are like other native peoples around the world who have been systematically dispossessed of their lands and heritage for centuries. — Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossessed
Adjective
  • Experts also found that most patients were female and came from deprived areas.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2026
  • On the back of a million-pound investment in 2012, the community has organized to restore life to a deprived area hit hard by austerity.
    — Kyle Vanelli, STAT, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Abascal is currently hospitalized at Gregorio Marañón Hospital, where she was taken on a stretcher immediately after being evicted from her apartment.
    — Pau Mosquera, CNN Money, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Smith was evicted due to the activities, claims Jane Doe 2, and moved into a second residence associated with his famous sister.
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • His hopes for The Situation is to better the experience of other disadvantaged creatives climbing the ranks today.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Raised in the school of hard knocks, Anderson was a passionate advocate for disadvantaged young Australians, his work recognized with Anderson made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for services to the community.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Three gunmen barged into a small house in an impoverished neighborhood in South Africa and opened fire on a group enjoying a party inside, killing at least 11 people including a pregnant woman, police and local authorities said Wednesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In 1693, Antoine Theroux, an impoverished 18-year-old boatman, was recruited to defend New France, as Canada was then known, against the Indigenous tribes and the British for King Louis XIV.
    — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Lofgren commended Wahab for championing foster youth and others who are underprivileged and vulnerable.
    — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • While in the city, Diana met AIDS patients at a hospital in Harlem, went to the famous toy store FAO Schwarz, visited with underprivileged children, and attended a gala dinner.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 21 July 2026
Adjective
  • The game, set to be released in January 2027, is set in early 20th century Japan, following a foreigner who claws his way from destitute stranger to feared yakuza to entertainment tycoon.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The film, a true story, follows Lilly, a destitute Alabama tire factory worker who sues her employer for paying her half the wages her male counterparts received for more than 12 years.
    — Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The duo, fundraising co-chairs on the Class of 2029 Council, distributed 100 quarts of soup to needy classmates last week, gifted to them by local restaurant Souper Jenny.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • By directly volunteering at a local soup kitchen three hours a week, a person might only be able to help a few dozen needy people at a time.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Texas Tech is in a region of the state—known as the High Plains—with a severe lack of indigent legal services.
    — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • There are 76 million Americans in this group who are either indigent or children.
    — Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dispossessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossessed. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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