Divest (Verb)
Meaning 1
Take away possessions from someone; "The Nazis stripped the Jews of all their assets".
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Examples
- The government was forced to divest the corrupt businessman of his ill-gotten wealth and assets.
- The court ordered the wealthy heir to divest the family heirlooms and divide them among the other relatives.
- During the war, the enemy invaders proceeded to divest the city of its valuable historical artifacts.
- The company will divest the owners of their shares if they fail to meet the required payments.
- The law allows for authorities to divest felons of their properties and rights to serve as a deterrent.
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Meaning 2
Deprive of status or authority; "he was divested of his rights and his title"; "They disinvested themselves of their rights".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The corrupt government official was divested of his power and privileges after the scandal broke out.
- Her rights as a citizen were divested when she was convicted of a serious crime.
- As a result of his misbehavior, he was divested of his duties as the team captain.
- The new policy led to the board members being divested of their voting rights.
- The aristocrat's family was divested of their title and wealth after the revolution.
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Meaning 3
Reduce or dispose of; cease to hold (an investment); "The company decided to divest"; "the board of trustees divested $20 million in real estate property"; "There was pressure on the university to disinvest in South Africa".
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Examples
- The government plans to divest its shares in the state-run airlines as part of a privatization effort.
- The activist group urged the city to divest from the companies contributing to environmental degradation.
- As part of its restructuring plan, the corporation will divest its unprofitable subsidiaries and focus on core businesses.
- The pension fund voted to divest its holdings in companies implicated in human rights abuses.
- The investors decided to divest their stakes in the struggling startup after a series of unsuccessful product launches.
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Meaning 4
Remove (someone's or one's own) clothes; "The nurse quickly undressed the accident victim"; "She divested herself of her outdoor clothes"; "He disinvested himself of his garments".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The actor divested himself of his costume after the play.
- She quickly divested herself of her outdoor clothes to change for dinner.
- The nurse asked the patient to divest herself of her clothes for the examination.
- He divested himself of his suit and tie to relax at home.
- The model divested herself of her winter coat to try on the new summer outfit.