expropriate
verb
Did you know?
If you guessed that expropriate has something in common with the verb appropriate, you're right. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin adjective proprius, meaning "own." Expropriate came to English by way of the Medieval Latin verb expropriare, itself from Latin ex- ("out of" or "from") and proprius. Appropriate descends from Late Latin appropriare, which joins proprius and Latin ad- ("to" or "toward"). Both the verb appropriate ("to take possession of" or "to set aside for a particular use") and the adjective appropriate ("fitting" or "suitable") have been with us since the 15th century, and expropriate was officially appropriated in the 17th century. Other proprius descendants in English include proper and property.
Examples of expropriate in a Sentence
Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
However, a law passed by South Africa earlier this year does not allow land to be expropriated without an agreement with the owner.
—Hannah Demissie, ABC News, 12 May 2025
Since 2022, the Ukrainian government has proceeded systematically to expropriate the assets of these companies, diminishing the interests of private investors, and, in the end, decreasing the amount of energy actually produced.
—Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
About a dozen European companies have had their Russian subsidiaries expropriated by presidential decree, including Danish brewer Carlsberg and Finnish utility Fortum and the Kremlin has warned of more asset seizures.
—Anna Hirtenstein and Alexander Marrow, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expropriate
Cite this Entry
“Expropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expropriate. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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expropriate
verb
Legal Definition
expropriate
transitive verb
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