as in evicted
to end the occupancy or possession of
opponents of gentrification claim that the process unfairly dispossesses poorer residents of their long-established homes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in deprived
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dispossessed
Peter Saenger, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022
Without the voices of the dispossessed, how can there be deconstruction?
—Audrey Clare Farley, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2022
And when Israel gained its independence in 1948, Zionism became the world’s first successful Indigenous movement of a dispossessed and colonized people regaining sovereignty in their Indigenous homeland.
—Micha Danzig, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2021
Chilton’s sonorous voice carries with it the perseverance and anguish of the dispossessed, disenfranchised and violated.
—Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for dispossessed
Verb
Three days after his 10th birthday, his father, a depressed junkman, killed himself, and the experience of misfortune fueled the young artist’s identification with the dispossessed.
—Peter Saenger, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022
Without the voices of the dispossessed, how can there be deconstruction?
—Audrey Clare Farley, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2022
And when Israel gained its independence in 1948, Zionism became the world’s first successful Indigenous movement of a dispossessed and colonized people regaining sovereignty in their Indigenous homeland.
—Micha Danzig, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2021
Chilton’s sonorous voice carries with it the perseverance and anguish of the dispossessed, disenfranchised and violated.
—Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for dispossessed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispossessed
Verb
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Prior to his career in government, Rasool, who as a child was evicted from a Cape Town neighborhood for white people, became an anti-Apartheid campaigner.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
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Unable to make rent without his father, Rema and his family were evicted from their apartment.—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In the last election, some of the most deprived areas of the country — based on factors like income, housing and health — voted for the Conservative Party for the first time.—
Josh Holder,
New York Times,
24 June 2024
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But what makes Seller’s story sing is his vivid recollection of a deprived childhood with demanding parents, his first job as a booking agent, and his coming out during the early days of the AIDS epidemic.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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State, local, and tribal agencies also play a critical role in monitoring air quality, such as New York’s Community Air Monitoring Initiative, which tracked pollution for a year using mobile monitoring in 10 disadvantaged communities with high air pollution burdens.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 July 2025
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Private school scholarships not ‘for disadvantaged families’ Republican leaders have consistently pitched a statewide school choice program as an opportunity to empower families without financial means to get their children out of failing schools.—
Vivian Jones,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Many are located in impoverished barrios dominated by criminals — who are now demanding a cut of their tuition fees.—
John Otis,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
The ignorant need cultural immersion at the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, which tells the story of those who fled the Cuban island that went from a free, prosperous republic to an oppressive, impoverished dictatorship within a single generation.—
Luka Ladan,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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The 58-year-old spent the day with underprivileged children, sharing anecdotes and promoting equity through sport.—
David Ferrini,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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The homes and businesses of the city's more underprivileged citizens stood in the flood zones; the needy lost more lives and property than those high on the hills.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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While talks fell apart back in the day, coming away from a global pandemic can serve as an inspiration for a director and scribe whose previous work on the subject seemed prescience for a year when 2020 was destitute and shut down.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 June 2025
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In fact, the words were taken from a description of the central character of Les Misérables, destitute following his conviction for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving children.—
Graham Robb,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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States and food pantries cannot cover food for needy elderly, children and the disabled without federal support.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
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Another calls for evaluating whether hospitals' use of the federal 340b program is following the intent of serving needy populations.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Hearings began in Boston Municipal Court on Monday and continued on Tuesday, with at least four unrepresented indigent defendants, or those who cannot afford a private attorney, being released.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
9 July 2025
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Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides medical coverage to indigent Wisconsin residents and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.—
Liliana Fannin,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dispossessed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispossessed. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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