Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To formally and deliberately dispose of or remove an asset, especially a work of art or other valuable item, from a collection (such as a museum's or gallery's holdings) by selling it.

Usage

• The verb "de-access" is used to describe the official, often institutional, action of selling an item from a permanent collection. It implies a formal decision-making process.
• It is typically used in the context of museums, galleries, libraries, or other collecting institutions.
• The term often carries a neutral or procedural tone but can be controversial depending on the item being sold.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The museum board voted to de-access several paintings to fund the acquisition of a more significant work.
  • Facing budget cuts, the library was forced to de-access a portion of its rare book collection.

Advanced Usage

• "De-accession" (noun): The act or process of de-accessing items from a collection.
  • The de-accession of the sculpture sparked a public debate about the museum's mission.

Variants and Related Words

• Deaccession (verb/noun): A common variant spelling and the related noun form for the process.
  • The committee will review the policy to deaccession artifacts.
• Dispose of: A more general synonym.
• Sell off: A more common and informal phrasal verb with a similar meaning, often implying selling multiple items.

Synonyms

• Dispose of
• Sell off
• Liquidate (from a collection)

Related Phrases

• To put up for sale: To make available for purchase, often a step in the de-accessioning process.
  • After the decision to de-access it, the painting was put up for sale at auction.

Verb

1. dispose of by selling
   • the museum sold off its collection of French impressionists to raise money
   • the publishing house sold off one of its popular magazines