eminent domain

English

Etymology

Translation of the Latin term dominium ēminēns “supreme ownership”.

Noun

eminent domain (uncountable)

1. (law, US, Philippines) The right of a government over the private property within its jurisdiction. Usually invoked to compel land owners to sell their property in preparation for a major construction project such as a freeway.

   The city council used eminent domain to make me sell my store.

2. (historical) In feudalism, the legal interest or rights of a lord or superior in an estate in land held in fee, as opposed to the vassal's or tenant's interest.

Synonyms

• compulsory purchase (UK, Ireland, New Zealand), compulsory acquisition (Australia), expropriation (Canada, South Africa)
• superiority (Scots law)

Antonyms

• (feudal law): utile domain, inferiority (Scots law)

Translations

government's right to expropriate private land

• Armenian: հանրային գերակա շահ (hanrayin geraka šah), գերակա հանրային շահ (geraka hanrayin šah)
• Dutch: onteigening (nl) f
• Finnish: pakkolunastus (fi)
• French: expropriation (fr) f, expropriation pour cause d’utilité publique f
• German: Enteignung (de) f
• Italian: espropriazione per pubblica utilità f
• Polish: wywłaszczenie (pl), ekspropriacja (pl)
• Portuguese: desapropriação (pt) f
• Spanish: expropiación f
• Swedish: expropriation (sv) c, expropriering (sv) c, tvångsinlösen c

lord's property interest in a fief or fee

• Dutch: oppereigendom
• French: domaine direct m, domaine éminent m
• German: Obereigentum