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 challenge was to see how many passes each team could complete before they were dispossessed as opponents swarmed all over them. James Pearce, New York Times, 1 Aug. 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
  • Will kids living in deprived areas, without thriving industries, have fewer options?
    Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 29 July 2026
  • That left the stage for Richardson (and deprived fans of the budding rivalry between the training partners).
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • Sarah Ferguson’s reported whereabouts have been revealed after she was evicted from Royal Lodge on January 31 following her ex-husband, former Prince Andrew’s, ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
    Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 24 July 2026
  • In October 2025, King Charles stripped Andrew of his royal titles, and since then, Andrew has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and evicted from the Royal Lodge.
    Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 15 July 2026
Adjective
  • Song Kang stars as Kang Bi-o, a prodigy accustomed to being top of his class, whose position is threatened by transfer student Choi Jeong-yo (Lee Jun-young), a raw talent from a disadvantaged background.
    Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • On the downside, Dow’s Saudi Arabia joint venture plant is still mothballed, and Dow is shuttering economically disadvantaged facilities in the United Kingdom and Germany.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 30 July 2026
Adjective
  • But for those who don’t see the unhoused, impoverished or vulnerable as human, deserving of rights or even life, Heimbach has some advice.
    Trevor Morgan, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • Lama finished high school thanks to a government scholarship for impoverished students.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • Funds have also been raised to send underprivileged children to different day camps, and a scholarship has been established at her theater group, Lindsey says.
    Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
Adjective
  • The Hersheys chose this mission at a time when caring for orphans and children in destitute families in institutional settings was still the norm.
    Thomas Adam, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
  • The workers on the platform were Asian, black, Houma Indian, a few destitute Cadiens.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Adjective
  • Means testing would also target funds to needy families that struggle to matriculate to higher or professional education.
    John Ketcham, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Howl’s needy nature led to one of Ly’s favorite videos, another captured in the spur of the moment during a hectic packing session.
    Pat Mueller, USA Today, 29 July 2026
Adjective
  • My opponent’s work is limited to representing indigent clients in mental health court.
    Jacob M. Noble, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026
  • Powell, who was indigent and could not afford an attorney, wrote his own motions to the court six times in the ensuing years, trying multiple routes to overturn his conviction or at least reduce his prison time.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dispossessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossessed. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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