eviction
Americannoun
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the act of forcing a tenant, or sometimes a squatter, to vacate a property (often used attributively).
A local mother and her two daughters were given a court-ordered eviction, with four days to leave their apartment.
When the rent got far enough behind, the landlord finally sent the tenants an eviction notice.
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the act of forcing someone to leave; expulsion.
He is facing potential eviction from the Senate for failure to pay the costs of his unsuccessful legal battle.
Usage
What is an eviction moratorium? An eviction moratorium is an order that prohibits, under certain circumstances, landlords and property owners from evicting tenants, typically for not paying rent.In 2020, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order was intended to prevent people from losing a place to stay due to inability to pay rent upon losing income—ultimately to prevent further spread of the virus. The CDC’s moratorium did not release tenants from their requirement to pay rent and did not prohibit eviction for reasons beyond failure to pay rent, such as criminal activity.The first CDC moratorium was issued on September 4, 2020, and was extended multiple times before expiring on July 31, 2021. At the time of its expiration, searches on Dictionary.com for the words eviction and moratorium increased.On August 3, 2021, the CDC issued another eviction moratorium in response to a rise in cases related to the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. The second moratorium was narrower, only applying to counties with significantly high rates of COVID-19 infections. It was set to be in effect until October 3, 2021.
Other Word Forms
- noneviction noun
Etymology
Origin of eviction
First recorded in 1450–1500, for an earlier sense; from Latin ēvictiōn-, stem of ēvictiō “recovery of one's property by law,” from ēvincere “to overcome, conquer”; evict ( def. ), -ion ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Actor Mickey Rourke has broken his silence on the alleged “unacceptable” living conditions that prompted him to withhold over $59,000 in rent after he defaulted in his eviction case.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
“Many in our workforce have missed bill payments, received eviction notices, had their cars repossessed and utilities shut off,” Ms. McNeill told the House.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
That’s the discount on the portfolios of Wall Street landlords who are being threatened with eviction from parts of the housing market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Following another court hearing, Barett is facing eviction from the multi-million-pound apartment in Monaco she has called home for years.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
My part in the eviction was kept very much alive, and although I was under orders to make no speeches, I had grown accustomed to being introduced as a kind of hero.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
