deaccession
deaccession — verb
- deaccessionpresent simple I / you / we / they
- deaccessions3rd person singular
- deaccessioning-ing form
- deaccessionedpast simple
1. to officially remove an item, such as a painting, book, or document, from the co
to officially remove an item, such as a painting, book, or document, from the collection of a museum, library, or gallery, often by selling it to raise money or make space.
The museum decided to deaccession several old paintings to raise money for new exhibits.
deaccession + object (old paintings) to raise money
Libraries sometimes deaccession damaged books that are no longer useful to readers.
passive context: institution + deaccession + condition
The gallery board voted to deaccession a bronze sculpture that no longer fit the collection.
Before you deaccession any item, the law requires a careful review by the ethics committee.
Many institutions deaccession duplicate copies to free up storage space for new donations.
- sell off
less formal and does not imply institutional collection-status rules
- remove from the collection
more literal and neutral; deaccession specifically includes the paperwork and legal steps
- dispose of
broader — can mean throwing away, not necessarily from a collection
文法句型
deaccession + object (artwork, book, document, etc.)
用法筆記
Subject is almost always an institution (museum, library, archive) or its governing board. The object must be an item that was previously accessioned into the collection — ordinary inventory is not 'deaccessioned' but simply removed or sold.
常見錯誤
deaccession — noun
1. the official act or set of rules by which a museum, library, or gallery removes
the official act or set of rules by which a museum, library, or gallery removes items from its collection, often by selling them to raise funds or create space.
The deaccession of old artworks helped the museum pay for urgent building repairs.
the deaccession of + [items] + purpose
Critics argued that the deaccession of rare books violated the library's public mission.
The museum's new deaccession policy requires approval from three separate committees.
Public opposition grew after the announcement of the planned deaccession of several paintings.
The deaccession of the bronze statue raised money to fund the new Asian art gallery.
- acquisition
the process of adding items to a collection
- accession
the formal act of adding an item to a collection
文法句型
the deaccession of + object
deaccession + noun (policy, plan, process)
用法筆記
Often used as a modifier before nouns such as policy, plan, proposal, or process. As a countable noun, it can refer to a single instance (a deaccession) or multiple instances (several deaccessions).