evict

/ɪˈvɪkt/

/ɪˈvɪkt/

Other forms: evicted; evicting; evicts

Use the verb evict to say that a tenant is being forced to move out of his home, usually through legal action. If you don't pay your rent, eventually your landlord will evict you.

Evict became part of the English language back in the 1530s. Based on the Latin word evincere, meaning "recover property, overcome and expel, conquer," even then it had a legal process attached to it. Before you evict someone, you have to complete official paperwork, though some landlords may succeed in evicting tenants without following the legal steps.

Definitions of evict

1. verb

   expel or eject without recourse to legal process
   “The landlord wanted to evict the tenants so he banged on the pipes every morning at 3 a.m.”

   synonyms:

   force out

   expel from one's property or force to move out by a legal process

   type of:

   boot out, chuck out, eject, exclude, turf out, turn out

   put out or expel from a place
2. verb

   expel from one's property or force to move out by a legal process
   “The landlord evicted the tenants after they had not paid the rent for four months”

   synonyms: force out

   type of:

   boot out, chuck out, eject, exclude, turf out, turn out

   put out or expel from a place