eminent domain

noun Law.
the power of the state to take private property for public use with payment of compensation to the owner.

Origin:
1730–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
eminent domain
 
n
law the right of a state to confiscate private property for public use, payment usually being made to the owners in compensation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Eminent domain is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

eminent domain definition


The right of a government to take private property for a public purpose, usually with just compensation of the owner.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Compensation for property taken by eminent domain--condemnation
  juries--payment--railroad property.
We don't use the government powers of eminent domain to give private property
  to private interests.
In this situation the power of eminent domain is the only salvation.
Eminent domain can only be used during the first five years of a redevelopment
  project area.
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