sequester

1 of 2

verb

se·​ques·​ter si-ˈkwe-stər 

sequestered; sequestering si-ˈkwe-st(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to set apart : segregate

sequester a jury

b

: seclude, withdraw

widely spaced homes are forbiddingly grand and sequestered

—Don Asher

2

a

: to seize especially by a writ of sequestration

b

: to place (property) in custody especially in sequestration

3

: to bind (a metal or metal ion) in the form of a soluble complex or chelate by adding a suitable reagent for the purpose of preventing precipitation in water solution by chemical agents that would normally bring it about, of solubilizing precipitates already formed, or of otherwise suppressing undesired chemical or biological activity

sequester calcium and magnesium ions in the softening of hard water

also : to bind or absorb (carbon dioxide) as part of a larger chemical process or compound

… half of the starting material will be used up and half will be char. That can then be put back on the fields, where it will sequester carbon and help grow the next crop.

—Emma Marris

sequester

2 of 2

noun

1

: the imposition of automatic government spending reductions in accordance with sequestration

2

obsolete : separation, isolation

Did you know?

Sequester is a word that has important legal and scientific uses, and a long history besides. In fact, it can be traced back to the Latin preposition secus, meaning, well, “beside” or “alongside.” Setting someone or something apart (figuratively “to the side”) from the rest is sequester’s raison d’être. We frequently hear it in the context of the courtroom, as juries are sometimes sequestered for the safety of their members or to prevent the influence of outside sources on a verdict. It is also possible, legally speaking, to sequester property—sequester can mean both “to seize” and “to deposit” property by a writ of sequestration. The scientific sense of sequester most often encountered these days has to do with the binding or absorption of carbon. Kelp forests, for example, sequester massive amounts of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, keeping it “apart” from the atmosphere—by some estimates doing so twenty times as much as terrestrial forests. You might even say kelp’s got this sequestering thing locked up.

Synonyms

Verb

• cut off
• insulate
• isolate
• seclude
• segregate
• separate

Examples of sequester in a Sentence

Verb

The jury was sequestered until a verdict was reached.

He was sequestered in his room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In 2024, technologies to combat climate change soared above the clouds in electricity-generating kites, traveled the oceans sequestering carbon, and permeated the earth to power agritech in a new way. —IEEE Spectrum, 23 Dec. 2024

Tucson’s water utility, Tucson Water stopped serving water treated at the Tucson Airport Remediation Project, or TARP, to residents in 2021 when increased PFAS levels caused the plant to temporarily shut down as the filter system sequestering the contaminants could not handle the increase. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024

It will most likely be taken to the nearby port of Palermo, some 8.4 nautical miles away, where it will be sequestered by law enforcement officials who will investigate the cause of the disaster and recover any sensitive data onboard. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 1 Dec. 2024

Prior research from Gracheva and colleagues found that hibernating squirrels keep their blood concentrations of ions like salt at consistent levels, about equal to those of active squirrels, by seriously conserving water and sequestering ions elsewhere in the body. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sequestren, from Anglo-French sequestrer, from Latin sequestrare to hand over to a trustee, from sequester third party to whom disputed property is entrusted, agent, from secus beside, otherwise; akin to Latin sequi to follow

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

sequester

verb

se·​ques·​ter

si-ˈkwes-tər

sequestered; sequestering

-t(ə-)riŋ

1

: to set apart : segregate

the jury was sequestered until a verdict was reached

2

: to take custody of (as personal property) until a demand is satisfied

Medical Definition

sequester

1 of 2 transitive verb

se·​ques·​ter si-ˈkwes-tər 

: to hold (as a metallic ion) in solution especially for the purpose of suppressing undesired chemical or biological activity

sequester

2 of 2 noun

: sequestrum

Legal Definition

sequester

1 of 2 transitive verb

se·​ques·​ter si-ˈkwes-tər 

sequestered; sequestering

1

: to place (as a jury or witness) in seclusion or isolation

Note: Juries are sequestered in order to preserve their impartiality. Witnesses are sequestered so that their testimony is not influenced by the testimony of prior witnesses.

2

a

: to seize especially by a writ of sequestration

b

: to deposit (property) in sequestration

sequester

2 of 2 noun

: sequestration sense 3

Etymology

Transitive verb

Anglo-French sequestrer, from Middle French, from Latin sequestrare to hand over to a trustee, from sequester third party to whom disputed property is entrusted, agent, from secus beside, otherwise