Word of the Day

: February 27, 2008

divest

verb dye-VEST

What It Means

1 a : to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title

b : to undress or strip especially of clothing, ornament, or equipment

c : rid, free

2 : to take away from a person

divest in Context

When tests revealed that the athlete had been taking steroids, Olympic officials divested him of his medal.

Did You Know?

"Divest" is one of many English words that come from the Latin verb "vestire" ("to clothe") and ultimately from the noun "vestis" ("clothing, garment"). Others include "vest," "vestment," "invest," and "travesty." "Divest" and its older form "devest" can mean "to unclothe" or "to remove the clothing of," but the word had broader applications even when it was first being used in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the opening scene of Shakespeare's King Lear, Lear uses the term to mean "rid oneself of" or "put aside":

"Tell me, my daughters
(Since now we will divest us both of rule,
Interest of territory, cares of state),
Which of you shall we say doth love us most?"

In addition to clothing, one can be divested of power, authority, possessions, or burdens.