deaccession
/ˌdiː.əkˈseʃ.ən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdiː.əkˈseʃ.ən/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌdē-ik-ˈse-shən -ak-/ (ame, mw)
deaccession — verb
- deaccessionpresent simple I / you / we / they
- deaccessions3rd person singular
- deaccessioning-ing form
- deaccessionedpast simple
1. for a museum, library, or archive to formally take an item out of its permanent
for a museum, library, or archive to formally take an item out of its permanent holdings, usually by selling, transferring, or otherwise giving up ownership of it.
The Mizuki Memorial Museum voted to deaccession three Edo-period scrolls last spring.
subject is an institution + concrete object
Emily argued that the library should not deaccession first-edition novels without public notice.
deaccession + plural object (rare books)
Trustees in Boston quietly deaccessioned two Monet paintings to fund a new wing.
Curators must follow strict ethical rules before they deaccession any donated piece.
A regional history museum in Glasgow was forced to deaccession dozens of duplicate coins.
- sell off
broader and less formal; doesn't carry the curatorial-policy meaning
- dispose of
generic; may include destruction, which 'deaccession' usually excludes
- withdraw
narrower in libraries: pulling worn copies from circulation, not transferring ownership
文法句型
deaccession + object (artwork / book / artefact)
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a cultural institution (museum, gallery, library, archive) or its governing body (trustees, board, curators). The object is something held in a permanent collection, not ordinary inventory.
常見錯誤
deaccession — noun
1. the practice, or a particular instance, of a museum, library, or archive formall
the practice, or a particular instance, of a museum, library, or archive formally letting go of items from its permanent holdings — together with the rules and paperwork that govern it.
The deaccession of two Picasso sketches sparked angry letters from local artists.
the deaccession of + named work
Jude wrote a master's thesis on deaccession policy in small university libraries.
deaccession + policy (uncountable)
Each deaccession requires written approval from the board of trustees.
Critics in Noa's article called the recent deaccession both rushed and secretive.
Ethical guidelines on deaccession vary widely between American and European institutions.
- disposal
broader; not limited to collection items
- decommissioning
shares the 'removing from active status' idea but used of equipment, not artworks
- weeding
library-only informal term for routine removal of low-use books
- accession
the formal recording of a new item into the collection
- acquisition
everyday opposite — buying or receiving new items
文法句型
the deaccession of + noun
deaccession by + institution
用法筆記
Used both as a count noun ('a deaccession', 'each deaccession' = one specific case) and as an uncount noun ('deaccession policy', 'rules on deaccession' = the practice in general). The countable use names a single event; the uncountable use names the policy area.