dispossess

verb

dis·​pos·​sess ˌdis-pə-ˈzes 

 also  -ˈses

dispossessed; dispossessing; dispossesses

transitive verb

: to put out of possession or occupancy

dispossessed the nobles of their land

dispossession

ˌdis-pə-ˈze-shən 

 also  -ˈse-

noun

dispossessor

ˌdis-pə-ˈze-sər 

 also  -ˈse-

noun

Synonyms

• evict
• deprive

Examples of dispossess in a Sentence

The land was settled by dispossessing the native people who lived here.

opponents of gentrification claim that the process unfairly dispossesses poorer residents of their long-established homes

Recent Examples on the Web

How a state comes to control another land and its people, sometimes slowly dispossessing the natives of their lands, sometimes laying waste to them, sometimes committing genocide. —Philip Metres august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025

This time, Odegaard did some excellent defensive work to dispossess Matheus Cunha. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025

The cry is always I have been dispossessed of what belongs to me, my house, the food, foodstuff, the land. —Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2025

Hamas took power in 2007, decades after Israel began dispossessing Palestinians and, at times, quietly enabled Hamas to weaken the Palestine Liberation Organization. —Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French despossesser, from des- dis- + possesser to possess

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dispossess

• abs
• acquiesce
• ancestress
• authoress
• coalesce
• decompress
• faithfulness
• letterpress
• mayoress
• murderess
• nonetheless
• overstress

Kids Definition

dispossess

verb

dis·​pos·​sess ˌdis-pə-ˈzes 

: to take away the possession of or the right to occupy land or houses

dispossession

-ˈzesh-ən 

noun

Legal Definition

dispossess

transitive verb

dis·​pos·​sess ˌdis-pə-ˈzes 

: to put out of possession or occupancy compare evict

dispossession

-ˈze-shən 

noun

dispossessor

-ˈze-sər 

noun