What does sequester mean?
Sequester means to set someone or something apart from others, often for protection, examination, or legal control. In general usage, the word suggests isolating a person or group from contact with the rest of society: officials may sequester witnesses or place a building under temporary control. In legal and financial contexts, sequestering assets means placing property or funds in the custody of an authorized person, usually to preserve them while a dispute is resolved. The verb can also refer to setting a legal matter aside for separate consideration. Its tone is formal and institutional, and it conveys more than merely hiding something: the separation is typically deliberate, official, and temporary. The word is especially useful when describing protective isolation, custody of disputed property, or the formal postponement of proceedings.
To remove or keep someone or something apart from others, especially for protection, isolation, or legal proceedings; to place property or funds under official control.
"The authorities sequestered the building and secured its records."
Formal; especially common in legal, governmental, and institutional contexts.
A person or authority that sequesters or sets something apart.
"The court appointed a sequester to manage the disputed property."
Rare and chiefly used in formal or historical legal contexts.
In legal language, sequestering assets does not merely hide them: it places them under the authority of the court or another official custodian.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sequester come from?
Sequester entered English in the late Middle English period, borrowed through Old French from the Latin sequestrare, meaning “to set apart” or “remove.” The Latin verb developed in legal contexts as well as in the general sense of removing something to a separate place. English later extended the word to include the isolation of people and the official custody of property or funds. Related forms such as sequestration and sequestrant continue to reflect the same root idea of setting something apart.
Related word forms
How sequester is actually used
The word has a formal tone and is especially common in legal, governmental, and institutional contexts. It often implies separation for a defined period or purpose rather than simple concealment.