Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

divest

/daɪˈvɛst/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.88 in modern English

Syllables: di-vest
IPA: /daɪˈvɛst/

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To strip, deprive, or dispossess (someone) of something (such as a right, passion, privilege, or prejudice).

Transitive verb

verb

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

Transitive verb

verb

Archaic; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

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

Etymology

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

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: *wes-, devester, desvestir

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /daɪˈvɛst/
British English: /daɪˈvɛst/

Usage

Inflected Forms

divests (present, singular) divesting (participle, present) divested (participle, past) divested (past)

Derived Forms

divestable divester divestible divestitive divestiture divestive divestment divestor undivested

Frequently Paired Words

disinvest deinvest

Synonyms

deprive dispossess sell off undress disrobe strip disinvest

Antonyms

invest dress

Rhymes With

best west rest test request suggest guest arrest chest expressed dressed breast

Questions

How do you pronounce divest?: The recorded pronunciation is /daɪˈvɛst/.
What does divest mean?: To strip, deprive, or dispossess (someone) of something (such as a right, passion, privilege, or prejudice).
Where does divest come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce divest

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “divest”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/daɪˈvɛst/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “divest”.
Repeat and practice — Say “divest” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.