divest of

Divest means to remove clothing, to sell off property, to strip someone of something or to rid oneself of something. In all cases, divest is usually followed by the preposition of.

• Once inside the hut, the skiers divested themselves of their snowy outer garments and clustered near the wood stove.
• The Government of Canada has divested itself of many Crown corporations in recent years.
• After the hearing, the sergeant was divested of her rank.
• Exposure to other cultures often helps us to divest ourselves of preconceived notions or of prejudices.