Divestiture
/daɪˈvɛs.tɪ.tʃər/noun
The act of selling off or giving up an asset, business, or title.
Did you know?Divestiture comes from the same Latin root as 'vestment' and 'invest,' all tracing back to clothing—so in ancient word-history, to divest was literally to undress or strip away.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
vestire
“to clothe, dress”
Late Latin
Latin
divestire
“to strip of clothing; to deprive”
Middle English
Anglo-French
divestir
“to strip off, deprive of possession”
14th-16th Century
English
divest
“to strip away clothing or possessions”
17th Century
English
divestiture
“the act of stripping away or depriving; later, the formal surrender or sale of assets”
Modern English
English
divestiture
“the formal disposal of an asset, business, or holding”