spoliate
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spoliate
1715–25; < Latin spoliātus, past participle of spoliāre to spoil. See spoil, -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"He intends to spoliate Austria as mercilessly as he formerly plundered Hamburg and the whole of Northern Germany," said the emperor, shrugging his shoulders.
From Andreas Hofer by Mühlbach, L. (Luise)
"He that is accursed, let him be accursed still," was the pitiless anathema written in this spoliated effort of his new-born solicitousness.
From Far from the Madding Crowd by Hardy, Thomas
Other crypts were discovered, but these had evidently been spoliated.
From Holidays in Eastern France by Betham-Edwards, Matilda
The Magyar nobles were now systematically spoliated on trumped-up charges of treason; hundreds of them were ruined.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8 "Hudson River" to "Hurstmonceaux" by Various
"De male quæsitis," &c.—Spelman's striking argument, that spoliated church property is seldom enjoyed for more than three generations, seems but a special application of a general principle,— "De male quæsitis gaudet non tertius hæraes."
From Notes and Queries, Number 41, August 10, 1850 by Various
His generosity to poor students was well known; but he could afford to be liberal, as his share of spoliated Church property had made him one of the wealthiest men in Denmark.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 2 "French Literature" to "Frost, William" by Various
Collector Jacques Walter auctioned it off to banker Jean-Marc Vernes for $11 million in 1992; he then sued the French government for "spoliating" its value, and, incredibly, Walter won $29 million in compensation.
From Time Magazine Archive
Those objects were—the enforcement of the laws; the suppression of a local insurrection; the reintegration of the disputed territory; the protection of the Capitol and its archives from the spoliating hands of traitors.
From The American Union Speaker by Philbrick, John D. (John Dudley)
Sieyès was equally disgusted, and made a speech of great force to show that to abolish tithes without an indemnity was spoliating the clergy to enrich the land-owners.
From Beacon Lights of History, Volume 09 European Statesmen by Lord, John
If not good enough to help Russia spoil Turkey, the Czar must be taught he was good enough to help England prevent the spoliating scheme.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 109, November, 1866 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
