dispossessed 1 of 2

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
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 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 Chilton’s sonorous voice carries with it the perseverance and anguish of the dispossessed, disenfranchised and violated. Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2021 See All Example Sentences for dispossessed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossessed
Adjective
  • Participants who walked faster were more likely to be men, live in less deprived areas, have healthier lifestyles and weigh less.
    Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Kenyan Muslims remain among the most deprived groups in the country, and many feel marginalized and disconnected from the state and its power structures.
    Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, Foreign Affairs, 27 July 2015
Verb
  • Prior to his career in government, Rasool, who as a child was evicted from a Cape Town neighborhood for white people, became an anti-Apartheid campaigner.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Unable to make rent without his father, Rema and his family were evicted from their apartment.
    Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • With an almost entirely new writing staff and a disadvantaged timeslot, the season’s slipping ratings led to Suddenly Susan’s cancellation.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, disabled, or economically disadvantaged, are particularly at risk of being left behind in a system designed for efficiency over care.
    Nizan Geslevich Packin, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Pope Francis was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, well-known for his call for engagement with the impoverished, love of creation and the Church.
    Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • The dedication to care for impoverished women and children continues to influence the culture and values of Mercy today.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In 1909, Milton and Kitty founded the Hershey Industrial School, which provided free education and housing to orphans and underprivileged children.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The students were all previously enrolled in the university’s Insights program, which helps underprivileged young people get into the arts.
    Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Some of the 221 Nicaraguans were left completely destitute.
    CD Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The bank seizes the family’s assets, leaving them relatively destitute.
    Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • His emphasis on God’s love and his demand that the church go out and minister to oppressed and needy people impressed even those who disagreed with him.
    Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
  • It's earmarked for the poor and needy and often given out during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
    Betsy Joles, NPR, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In essence, the federal government has established a formula to assess the proportion of indigent patients served by a health system.
    Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Texas spends less per resident on indigent defense than all but four other states, according to the Sixth Amendment Center, a national nonprofit focused on improving access to counsel.
    Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dispossessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossessed. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

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