[eks-proh-pree-eyt] 
| 1. | to take possession of, esp. for public use by the right of eminent domain, thus divesting the title of the private owner: The government expropriated the land for a recreation area. |
| 2. | to dispossess (a person) of ownership: The revolutionary government expropriated the landowners from their estates. |
| 3. | to take (something) from another's possession for one's own use: He expropriated my ideas for his own article. |
[eks-proh-pree-uh-buhl] , adjective