sequestered
UK[sɪˈkwɛstəd]US[sɪˈkwɛstərd]
adj
1. (of a place) isolated and hidden away.
adj
2. (of a jury, witness, etc.) isolated to prevent outside influence.
verb (past tense)
3. took legal possession of (assets) until a debt is paid or other claims are met.
verb (past tense)
4. isolated or hid away.
Morpheme Breakdown
se
quest
ered
se
apart
quest
ask, seek
ered
past tense/participial suffix
Etymology
The word 'sequestered' originates from the Latin verb sequestrare, meaning 'to place in safekeeping, to surrender for safekeeping.' This verb itself is built upon the noun sequester, a trustee or mediator, which derives from the root sequi (to follow). The conceptual link is that a trustee is one who follows or is entrusted with something. The prefix 'se-' (apart) combined with the root related to seeking or asking (quaerere) evolved to imply setting something apart, removing it from common access. Over time, this legal and financial sense of setting aside property broadened to encompass the general meaning of isolation or seclusion. Thus, a 'sequestered' location is one set apart from the mainstream, and a 'sequestered' jury is one removed from external contact.
Analysis
Structure: se (apart) + quest (ask, seek) + ered (past tense/participial suffix)
- se: A Latin prefix meaning "apart, away, without."
- quest: From Latin quaerere (to ask, seek), appearing in English as a root in words like 'question' and 'request'.
- ered: A composite suffix indicating the past tense and past participle form of a regular verb ('-ed'), attached to the base 'sequester'.
Examples
The writer lived in a sequestered cottage deep in the woods.
The judge ordered the jury to be sequestered during the high-profile trial.
The court sequestered the company's assets pending the outcome of the lawsuit.