Fosztani

Fosztani is a Hungarian verb meaning to deprive or strip something away from someone, and by extension to plunder or loot. The core sense is transitive: a person or entity deprives another person or a group of a possession, right, or status. Common constructions use a form of meg- and a prepositional phrase with from, as in megfosztani valakit valamitől (to deprive someone of something). The noun related for the general idea is fosztás (deprivation, dispossession) and megfosztás (dispossession or deprivation in a more formal sense).

A broader, figurative use covers removing privileges, opportunities, or protections. For example, a government or court can megfosztani valakit a jogaitól (deprive someone of their rights). In criminal contexts, the act of robbing a place is often expressed with the prefixed form kifosztani: a bankot kifosztották (they robbed the bank). The verb can also appear in passive constructions: a jogait megfosztották, the rights were taken away.

Usage notes and related forms: megfosztani emphasizes the act of depriving; kifosztani emphasizes the completion of a looting or robbery. The noun fosztás is used for the general state of deprivation, while fosztogatás or kifosztás can refer specifically to looting during disturbances or crime. The term is common in legal, political, and journalistic language, as well as in everyday discourse when describing unfairly stripping someone of rights or possessions.

See also: megfosztás, fosztás, kifosztani, fosztogatás.