divest

What it means

1. transitiveTo 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.

   2 more examples

   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.

   Synonyms: deprive, dispossess

2. transitivebusinessTo sell off or be rid of through sale, especially of a subsidiary.

   In 2011, the company divested an 81% majority stake in its foreign subsidiary.

   3 more examples

   Glasgow will become the first university in Europe to divest from fossil fuels.

   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

   Synonyms: sell off · Antonyms: invest

3. archaictransitiveTo 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

   Synonyms: undress, disrobe · Antonyms: dress

In a sentence

You shall never divest me of my right to free speech.

Where it comes from

1. Old Frenchdesvestir
2. Middle Frenchdevester“strip of possessions”
3. Englishdivest

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