Meanings
- PhilippinesUSuncountablelawThe 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.
Synonyms: compulsory purchase, compulsory acquisition, expropriation, superiority
- historicaluncountablelawIn 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 & antonyms
nounThe 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.
feudal law
Origin
- New Latindominium ēminēns
- Englisheminent domain
Calque of New Latin dominium ēminēns (literally “supreme ownership”).
More words from New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch onteigening, oppereigendom
- onteigeninggovernment's right to expropriate private land
- oppereigendomlord's property interest in a fief or fee
Finnish pakkolunastus
- pakkolunastusgovernment's right to expropriate private land
French expropriation, expropriation pour cause d'utilité publique
- expropriationgovernment's right to expropriate private land
- expropriation pour cause d'utilité publiquegovernment's right to expropriate private land
- domaine directlord's property interest in a fief or fee
- domaine éminentlord's property interest in a fief or fee
German Enteignung, Obereigentum
- Enteignunggovernment's right to expropriate private land
- Obereigentumlord's property interest in a fief or fee
Italian espropriazione per pubblica utilità, occupazione d'urgenza
- espropriazione per pubblica utilitàgovernment's right to expropriate private land
- occupazione d'urgenzagovernment's right to expropriate private land
Polish wywłaszczenie, ekspropriacja
- wywłaszczeniegovernment's right to expropriate private land
- ekspropriacjagovernment's right to expropriate private land
- ekspropriacjalord's property interest in a fief or fee
Portuguese desapropriação
- desapropriaçãogovernment's right to expropriate private land
Spanish expropiación
- expropiacióngovernment's right to expropriate private land
Swedish expropriation, expropriering
- expropriationgovernment's right to expropriate private land
- exproprieringgovernment's right to expropriate private land
- tvångsinlösengovernment's right to expropriate private land
Cite this entry
eminent domain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eminent%20domain
“eminent domain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eminent%20domain. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eminent domain,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eminent%20domain.
Source: eminent domain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.