Definition of "divest"

divest

/daɪˈvɛst/

verb
third-person singular simple present divests, present participle divesting, simple past and past participle divested
1. (transitive) To strip, deprive, or dispossess (someone) of something (such as a right, passion, privilege, or prejudice).
2. (transitive, finance) To sell off or be rid of through sale, especially of a subsidiary.
  Quotations
  It is argued that from a fiscal point of view, governments should divest only if this leads to an improvement in the intertemporal budget constraint. However, it is shown that policymakers are instead inclined to divest public assets as a means of […]
  2011, Alfred Schipke, Why Do Governments Divest?: The Macroeconomics of Privatization, Springer Science & Business Media, page 6
  Building from this argument, we can now turn to arguing the moral case why individuals should divest from fossil fuels. We can flesh out what is wrong with continuing investments in the fossil fuel industry in terms of the role that an agent […]
  2018, Ravi Kanbur, Henry Shue, Climate Justice: Integrating Economics and Philosophy, Oxford University Press, USA, page 146
3. (transitive, archaic) To undress.
  Quotations
  Having divested the child he kissed her gently and gave her a little pat to make her stand off.
  1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew