expropriation
The city council approved the expropriation of the old factory for a new park.
- Noun:
- The act of taking property out of an owner's hands, especially by public authority: "Expropriation" refers to the action where a government or other official body takes private property for public use, typically with compensation to the owner.
- "Expropriation" is a formal term used primarily in legal, political, and economic contexts. It describes a sovereign power taking private property.
- It often implies a legal process and is distinguished from simple theft or seizure by its official, authorized nature.
- The term is neutral but can carry negative connotations depending on the context and fairness of the process.
- Noun:
- The new highway construction required the expropriation of several farms.
- The law allows for the expropriation of land for essential public infrastructure.
- Investors were concerned about the risk of asset expropriation by the foreign government.
"Compulsory purchase" (chiefly UK) or "eminent domain" (chiefly US) are legal terms closely related to "expropriation," describing the government's right to take private property for public use.
- The compulsory purchase order was a form of expropriation to build the new school.
"Creeping expropriation": A series of government actions that gradually reduce the value or control of a property, effectively amounting to a taking without a single formal act.
- The company argued that the new regulations constituted a creeping expropriation of its investment.
Expropriate (verb): To take (property) from its owner for public use or benefit.
- The state moved to expropriate the land from the corporation.
Expropriator (noun): A person or entity that expropriates.
- The expropriator must provide just compensation.
- Confiscation: The action of taking or seizing someone's property with authority. (Often implies a penalty without compensation, whereas expropriation typically involves compensation.)
- Seizure: The action of capturing or taking possession. (A broader, less specific term.)
- Appropriation: The action of taking something for one's own use. (Can be less formal or legal than expropriation.)
- Restitution: The restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.
- Return: The act of giving something back.
"For public use": A common phrase specifying the purpose of an expropriation.
- The expropriation was justified as being for public use.
"Just compensation": A principle often associated with expropriation, meaning the owner must be paid a fair market value for the taken property.
- The constitution guarantees just compensation in cases of expropriation.
The city council approved the expropriation of the old factory for a new park.
- taking out of an owner's hands (especially taking property by public authority)