expropriation

noun

ex·​pro·​pri·​a·​tion (ˌ)ek-ˌsprō-prē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce expropriation (audio)
: the act of expropriating or the state of being expropriated
specifically : the action of the state in taking or modifying the property rights of an individual in the exercise of its sovereignty

Examples of expropriation in a Sentence

the development of the colony involved expropriation of large tracts of fertile farmland from the natives
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rubio's position comes amid tension between the South African government and the Trump administration over that country's land expropriation law and its anti-Israel stance. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025 As a teenager who reached the 100 meter backstroke semifinal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she was publicly drawn to comment on Mugabe's controversial policy of violent expropriation of commercial farms owned by white Zimbabweans. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025 An excellent chapter on the land expropriations of white farmers carefully deconstructs the regime’s rhetoric and methods, arguing that the violent abuses in the process were never random but rather the result of Mugabe’s political calculations. Daniel Compagnon, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2011 Trump falsely accused the South African government of a rights violation against white Afrikaner farmers by seizing their land through a new expropriation law. Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for expropriation

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of expropriation was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Expropriation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expropriation. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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