Dictionary

divest en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈvɛst/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio
• /daɪˈvɛst/ (UK, US)

Etymology

Alteration of devest, from Middle French devester (“strip of possessions”), from Old French desvestir, from des- (“dis-”) + vestir (“to clothe”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To strip, deprive, or dispossess (someone) of something (such as a right, passion, privilege, or prejudice).
   • You shall never divest me of my right to free speech.
   • When I wake up, I make a point to divest myself of all my prejudices, ready to start the day.
   • The report divested the organization of its mystique.
2. (transitive) To sell off or be rid of through sale, especially of a subsidiary.
   • It is argued that from a fiscal point of view, governments should divest only if this leads to an improvement in the intertemporal budget constraint. However, it is shown that policymakers are instead inclined to divest public assets as a means of […] 2011, Alfred Schipke, Why Do Governments Divest?: The Macroeconomics of Privatization, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 6:
   • Building from this argument, we can now turn to arguing the moral case why individuals should divest from fossil fuels. We can flesh out what is wrong with continuing investments in the fossil fuel industry in terms of the role that an agent […] 2018, Ravi Kanbur, Henry Shue, Climate Justice: Integrating Economics and Philosophy, Oxford University Press, USA, →ISBN, page 146:
   • Glasgow will become the first university in Europe to divest from fossil fuels.
   • In 2011, the company divested an 81% majority stake in its foreign subsidiary.
3. (archaic, transitive) To undress.
   • Having divested the child he kissed her gently and gave her a little pat to make her stand off. 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew:

Forms

Antonyms

dress · invest

Deriveds

divestive · divestiture · undivested · divester · divestable · divestor · divestment · divestitive · divestible

Relateds

deinvest · disinvest

Synonyms

disrobe · sell off · dispossess · deprive · undress

Translations (29)

fi luopua (2. to sell off) · ru лиши́ть (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · cs zbavit (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · ru отня́ть (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · ca privar (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · bg отнемам (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · scn spugghiari (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · bg лишавам (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · ja 奪う (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · it spogliare (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · de entziehen (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · fi riistää (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · fi ottaa (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · hu elárusít (2. to sell off) · hu elad (2. to sell off) · cmn 剝奪 /剥夺 (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · ru отнима́ть (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · fur dispoiâ (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · cs zbavit se (2. to sell off) · ca desposseir (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · it disinvestire (2. to sell off) · es desvestir (3. undress) · hu kiárusít (2. to sell off) · ru лиша́ть (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · fi myydä pois (2. to sell off) · de berauben (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something) · hu értékesít (2. to sell off) · scn sbìnniri (2. to sell off) · hu megfoszt (1. to strip, deprive, or dispossess of something)