divestiture

[ dih-ves-ti-cher, -choor, dahy- ]

noun

1. the act of divesting.
2. the state of being divested.
3. something, as property or investments, that has been divested:

   to reexamine the company's acquisitions and divestitures.

4. Also di·ves·ture [] the sale of business holdings or part of a company, especially under legal compulsion.

divestiture

1. The act of a corporation or conglomerate in getting rid of a subsidiary company or division. In a tactic to pressure South Africa to end apartheid , during the 1980s many Americans and Europeans urged divestiture on corporations doing business in South Africa.

Word History and Origins

Origin of divestiture¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; di- ² + (in)vestiture

Example Sentences

The Justice Department decided against requesting the divestiture of Google’s Android smartphone operating system, Bloomberg reports.

From New York Times

The divestiture would bring C&S at least 413 stores in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

From Los Angeles Times

However, in court, Kroger has asserted it chose C&S as its divestiture partner because the retailer is the “anti-Haggen,” according to Progressive Grocer.

From Salon

"The key point is whether the court accepts that requiring divestiture does not regulate speech."

From BBC

"Reagan was president at the time and it was the apartheid era and there was a lot of talk about divestiture with 'trans Africa' and the Martin Luther King holiday issue," Ms Rosario-Richardson said.

From BBC

Related Words

• disinvestment
• divestment