Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To alter the status of (something established by authority or general acceptance).
  • transitive verb To deprive (a church) of official governmental support.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To deprive of the character of being established; cause to cease to be established; specifically, to withdraw from exclusive state recognition or privileges, as a church.
  • To unsettle; set aside; remove from established use.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To unsettle; to break up (anything established); to deprive, as a church, of its connection with the state.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To deprive (an established church) of its official status.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb deprive (an established church) of its status

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From dis- +‎ establish.

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Examples

  • The Base Realignment and Closure Commission also suggested that the Pentagon could "disestablish" CIFA and DSS and "consolidate their components into the Department of Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency."

    America’s Secret Police? 2007

  • Nor did I try to 'disestablish' him altogether, but only to prevent his being placed above better men, whom he continually attacked, from a consciousness that his special talents would never allow him to please in the way they pleased.

    The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius Charles Thomas Cruttwell 1879

  • The latest changes will "disestablish" 31 jobs, including cancelling seven current vacancies - but it will also create 14 new jobs.

    Stuff.co.nz - Stuff 2010

  • Some felt that Church influence on public affairs was too strong and sought to 'disestablish' it.

    Featured Articles - Encyclopedia of Earth 2010

  • There is no water I informed Arnold Schwarzenegger of a "secret society" in his state, that is "THE ACTUAL CAUSE" of the drought and the wild fires, I asked him to "disestablish", this secret society in order to save his state from total burnup, and so far he has not responded!

    Examiner California Headlines 2009

  • It isn't yet clear whether that coalition will try to disestablish the council's board system and establish a cabinet system in orde to (in the words of a prominent member of Plaid Cymru) "leave the idiots and the extremists to rot on the opposition benches".

    Archive 2008-05-01 2008

  • Hezbollah seems determined to disestablish Israel, and after nearly three decades of trying to do so believes its goal is in reach.

    A Privilege to Die Thanassis Cambanis 2010

  • Under the Pearce-Kavanagh proposal, though, Crow says he would be forced to layoff at least 2,500 employees, require unpaid employee furloughs, increase tuition substantially, disestablish more academic departments, and close at least one campus.

    Dawn Teo: Napolitano Departs, AZ GOP Cannibalizes Education to Meet Budget Shortfall 2009

  • Now if you wished to mend this problem, you would rather disestablish "personhood" for corporations and bust them into tiny peices, just like the intelligence services should be.

    Dividing America with Hate 2009

  • Some felt that Church influence on public affairs was too strong and sought to ‘disestablish’ it.

    Darwin, Charles 2009

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