dispossess

UK: /ˌdɪspəˈzɛs/ US: /ˌdɪspəˈzɛs/ ,(dis′pə zes′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

dis•pos•sess /ˌdɪspəˈzɛs/   v. [~ + object]

1. to put (a person) out of occupancy (of a dwelling place):
   If you pay your rent, you can't be dispossessed.

See -sess-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

dis•pos•sess  (dis′pə zes′), v.t. 

1. to put (a person) out of possession, esp. of real property; oust.
2. to banish.
3. Business to abandon ownership of (a building), esp. as a bad investment:
   Landlords have dispossessed many old tenement buildings.

• Latin possidēre; see possess
• Old French posseder)
• 1425–75; dis-¹ + possess; replacing Middle English disposseden, equivalent. to dis-¹ + posseden (

dis′pos•ses′sion, n. 
dis′pos•ses′sor, n. 
dis•pos•ses•so•ry  (dis′pə zes′ə rē), adj.  Synonyms

• 1. See strip ¹.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

dispossess / ˌdɪspəˈzɛs/ verb

1. (transitive) to take away possession of something from (someone), esp property; expel

ˌdisposˈsession noun

ˌdisposˈsessor noun