What does devesting mean?
"Devesting" is the present participle of the verb "devest," which means to strip someone or something of possessions, rights, authority, or adornment, or more literally to remove clothing or a covering. In legal and historical writing, one might speak of a statute devesting an institution of its lands, or a revolution devesting a monarch of power. The word carries a formal, somewhat archaic tone; in contemporary usage it has largely been displaced by its close cousin "divesting," which dominates in financial and political contexts when talking about shedding assets or withdrawing investments. Devesting derives from Latin vestire, meaning to clothe, via Old French desvestir, so it literally suggests unclothing — whether of garments, titles, or estates. Though uncommon today, it remains useful in precise legal prose where stripping away rights or holdings must be distinguished from voluntary divestment.
verbPresent participle and gerund of "devest": to strip or deprive someone of something such as property, rights, or power, or to remove a garment or covering.
- To strip someone of property, rights, rank, or power.
- To remove a garment or outer covering.
"The new charter was devesting the board of most of its authority."
"The legislation was aimed at devesting the monarchy of its remaining political influence."
"Devasting his heavy coat by the door — no: devesting himself of his heavy coat, he stepped into the warm room."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of devesting
"Devesting" traces back through Middle French desvestir to the Latin prefix de- plus vestire, "to clothe." Its core image is therefore that of unclothing — removing garments literally or figuratively stripping away property, rank, or rights. It entered English in the late medieval period alongside its sibling "divest" from the same Latin root, which also gives us "invest," "vestment," and "transvest."
Related word forms
How devesting is actually used
"Devesting" is rare and formal in modern English; "divesting" is far more common for the sense of stripping assets or power. It survives chiefly in legal and historical contexts.
Easily confused with devesting
"Digesting" means breaking down food or information; "devesting" means stripping away property, rights, or clothing.