dispossession

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌdɪspəˈzɛʃən/ UK /ˌdɪspəˈzɛʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the act of depriving someone of property or occupancy

The settlers' arrival brought the dispossession of native landholders.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of depriving... deprivation eviction expropriation ousting seizure ejection

Opposites

possession ownership tenure retention

Word family

Related forms dispossess dispossessed possession

Etymology

From dispossess + -ion; dispossess is from Old French despossesser, from des- ('away') + possesser ('to possess'), from Latin possidere ('to possess, hold').

des- Old French possidere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# dispossession

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌdɪspəˈzɛʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌdɪspəˈzɛʃən/

## Meanings
1. the act of depriving someone of property or occupancy

## Examples
- The settlers' arrival brought the dispossession of native landholders.

## Synonyms
- deprivation
- eviction
- expropriation
- ousting
- seizure
- ejection

## Antonyms
- possession
- ownership
- tenure
- retention

## Related Forms
- dispossess
- dispossessed
- possession

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: des-
- Root: possidere

## Etymology
From dispossess + -ion; dispossess is from Old French despossesser, from des- ('away') + possesser ('to possess'), from Latin possidere ('to possess, hold').

## AI Etymology
Dispossession comes from dispossess + -ion; dispossess is from Old French despossesser, from des- ('away') + possesser ('to possess'), from Latin possidere ('to possess, hold'). The etymological trail includes Old French des- and Latin possidere. As a noun, dispossession names the act of depriving someone of property or occupancy. The same family is visible in related forms such as dispossess, dispossessed, and possession. The analysis is partly morphological, with the modern form built from the elements named in the history.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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