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sell away

C1 formal separable transitive
In simple words

When a financial adviser secretly sells your investments without asking you; or in historical contexts, to sell a person away from their home or family.

Literal meaning: To sell something so that it goes away — often with a sense of removal or loss.

Meanings

1 C1 formal

In finance: for a broker to sell or recommend investments to clients outside those approved by their firm, without proper disclosure — an illegal practice.

"The broker was barred from the industry for selling away products that were not on his firm's approved list."

Grammar: separable
2 C1 neutral

Historically: to sell an enslaved person to a different owner, separating them from their family or community.

"Families were often sold away to distant plantations, never to see each other again."

"Mothers were sold away from their children without a second thought."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

In finance, 'selling away' is an illegal practice where a broker sells securities not approved by their firm. In historical contexts, the phrase describes the forced sale of enslaved people away from their families. Both senses are serious and carry strongly negative connotations.

Commonly used with

investments securities assets clients shares

Forms

Base
sell away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sells away
he/she/it
Past simple
sold away
yesterday
Past participle
sold away
have + pp
-ing form
selling away
continuous

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