spoliation
the act or an instance of plundering or despoiling.
authorized plundering of neutrals at sea in time of war.
Law. the destruction or material alteration of a bill of exchange, will, or the like.
the act of spoiling or damaging something.
Origin of spoliation
1Words Nearby spoliation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use spoliation in a sentence
The whole history of human civilization was denounced as an unredeemed record of the spoliation of the weak by the strong.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockIt was resigned to the Spanish governmental system of spoliation, and no one thought of reforms.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanHaving led in the first place to the adornment of their sepulchres, it ultimately caused their destruction and spoliation.
The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry WithrowBefore long, however, the acts of violence and the spoliation effected by the decrees of the assembly roused widespread disgust.
The Political History of England - Vol. X. | William HuntSuch a spoliation of the Church had not before taken place in any country of Europe.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume VI | John Lord
British Dictionary definitions for spoliation
/ (ˌspəʊlɪˈeɪʃən) /
the act or an instance of despoiling or plundering
the authorized seizure or plundering of neutral vessels on the seas by a belligerent state in time of war
law the material alteration of a document so as to render it invalid
English ecclesiastical law the taking of the fruits of a benefice by a person not entitled to them
Origin of spoliation
1Derived forms of spoliation
- spoliatory, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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