divest

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "divest" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in contexts related to selling off assets, investments, or interests, often for ethical or financial reasons. Example: "The company decided to divest its holdings in fossil fuels to align with its sustainability goals."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Other bills in the package included measures to push public pension plans to divest in coal companies, require cities to include climate considerations in their general plans, and a proposal to study atmospheric rivers to increase water supply reliability.

The Guardian

The main reason to divest from the fossil fuels is – it's simply the right thing to do.

The Guardian

Related: Edinburgh university rejects calls to divest from all fossil fuels There wasn't much that was black and white beyond a fundamental agreement that human activity, and as a large part of that the burning of fossil fuels for energy, was driving climate change.

The Guardian

The Holmes Report, which covers the public relations industry and first reported the split, said Blue would divest from Edelman and go on handling the oil lobby's advertising campaigns.

The Guardian - Business

He said GMG, which owns the Guardian and Observer newspapers and website, has set a target of a "couple of years" to sell its direct fossil fuel investments, such as company shares and bonds, and five years to divest "co-mingled" funds which contained some fossil fuel assets.

The Guardian

The Guardian supports the fossil fuel divestment movement, and its Keep it in the Ground campaign has called on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, world's two biggest health charities, to divest from coal.

The Guardian

Harvard University has also resisted pressure from faculty and students to divest – although Yale has said it will look into whether renewable energy offers a better bet in the long run.

The Guardian

The family plans to first divest from tar sands commitments.

The Guardian

The Guardian Media Group pledged to divest its own $1bn fund from all fossil fuels in April.

The Guardian

In April of 2013, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an exhilarating unanimous (but nonbinding) resolution asking the Employee Retirement Board to divest.

The Guardian - Opinion

A foreign investor from the UK could be the second person forced to divest an Australian residential property following the Abbott government's crackdown on home ownership rules in May.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "divest" in the context of investments, clearly specify what is being divested (e.g., "divest from fossil fuels") to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Be careful not to confuse "divest" with "invest". "Divest" means to sell off or get rid of something, while "invest" means to put money or resources into something.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "divest" is as a transitive verb, requiring a direct object to complete its meaning. Ludwig AI highlights its usage in selling off assets, investments, or interests.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "divest" is a transitive verb primarily used to describe the act of selling off or getting rid of assets, investments, or interests, often for strategic or ethical reasons. As highlighted by Ludwig, this word is grammatically correct and commonly used in news, media, and formal business contexts. While "divest" is a common word, pay attention to the semantic distinction between "divest" and "invest". The best practice is to specify what someone is divesting from.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

disinvest

Specifically refers to withdrawing investments, closely related to "divest" in financial contexts.

withdraw investment

Specifically refers to taking money out of an investment.

sell off

Focuses on the act of selling, often quickly or under pressure.

dispose of

A more general term for getting rid of something, can apply to various types of assets.

liquidate

Implies converting assets into cash, often in a business context.

relinquish

Suggests voluntarily giving up something, like a right or claim.

unload

Implies quickly selling off something, possibly to avoid a loss.

cede ownership

Giving up ownership of something

get rid of

An informal way to say to eliminate or remove something.

auction off

Suggests selling something through an auction process.

FAQs

How is "divest" typically used in a sentence?

The verb "divest" is commonly used to describe selling off assets or investments. For example, "The university decided to "divest from fossil fuels"."

What's a good synonym for "divest" in a financial context?

In financial contexts, a strong synonym for "divest" is "disinvest". Both terms refer to withdrawing investments.

When should I use "divest" instead of "sell"?

"Divest" is more appropriate when referring to a strategic decision to sell off assets, often for ethical or financial reasons. "Sell" is a more general term for transferring ownership in exchange for money. For example, companies "divest assets" to streamline their business or comply with regulations.

Is it correct to say "divest of" something?

Yes, it is correct, but less common. Typically the correct way is to use "divest" followed by "from". For example, the company decided to "divest its holdings" in the oil industry.