dispossess
verb
dis·pos·sess
ˌdis-pə-ˈzes 
also -ˈses
dispossessed; dispossessing; dispossesses
: to put out of possession or occupancy
dispossessed the nobles of their land
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
Against Bournemouth in November, Jeremy Doku was pulled up for a challenge on David Brooks having been dispossessed on the left side of the penalty area by Bafode Diakite.
—
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 May 2026
The family owners of Fischer Bücherei were Jews of Hungarian origin, who had been dispossessed of their publishing house by the Nazis before it was returned to them after the war.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Kelsy dispossessed San Diego in its defensive third, cut back to evade a defender at the edge of the penalty area, and skipped a shot inside the near post to give the Timbers (3-5-1) a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and in an instant dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century.
—Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispossess
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Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 May 2026
The family owners of Fischer Bücherei were Jews of Hungarian origin, who had been dispossessed of their publishing house by the Nazis before it was returned to them after the war.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Kelsy dispossessed San Diego in its defensive third, cut back to evade a defender at the edge of the penalty area, and skipped a shot inside the near post to give the Timbers (3-5-1) a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
Calling his father and uncle gusanos — or worms, a Spanish-language term coined by Castro to denigrate those fleeing the island — the agent seized the bank and in an instant dispossessed a family that arrived from Spain in the 16th century.
—Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispossess
Cite this Entry
“Dispossess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dispossess. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dispossess
verb
dis·pos·sess
ˌdis-pə-ˈzes
: to take away the possession of or the right to occupy land or houses
Legal Definition
dispossess
transitive verb
dis·pos·sess
ˌdis-pə-ˈzes
: to put out of possession or occupancy compare evict
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