eminent domain
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.eminent domain
nounDefinition of EMINENT DOMAIN
: a right of a government to take private property for public use by virtue of the superior dominion of the sovereign power over all lands within its jurisdiction
See Examples of EMINENT DOMAIN
- The state took the homes by eminent domain to build the new road.
First Known Use of EMINENT DOMAIN
1783
eminent domain
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)Government power to take private property for public use without the owner's consent. Constitutional provisions in most countries, including the U.S. (in the 5th Amendment to the Constitution), require the payment of just compensation to the owner. As a power peculiar to sovereign authority and coupled with a duty to pay compensation, the concept was developed by such 17th-century natural-law jurists as Hugo Grotius and Samuel Pufendorf. See also confiscation.
Learn More About EMINENT DOMAIN
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: eminenter
Previous Word in the Dictionary: eminent
All Words Near: eminent domain
Previous Word in the Dictionary: eminent
All Words Near: eminent domain
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up eminent domain? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
