evict

Definitions

e- (out, from ex-) + victus (conquered) = literally 'to conquer out.' In old law it meant recovering property by winning a lawsuit against whoever held it. The courtroom origin faded, leaving the result: legally turning a tenant out.

Why It Means This

Today we hear 'evict' and picture a landlord changing the locks, but the word is built on conquest, not real estate. The Latin sense was 'to recover by legal victory' — you proved in court that the property was rightfully yours and so 'conquered' the occupant out. Over time only the eviction part stuck.

Common Collocations

• 1.evict a tenant驱逐租客
• 2.threaten to evict威胁驱逐
• 3.be evicted from被从……驱逐
• 4.evict by force强行驱离

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The landlord threatened to evict them for unpaid rent.

• 2.

  It can take months to legally evict a tenant.

• 3.

  Hundreds of families were evicted to make way for the highway.