spoliation
Americannoun
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the act or an instance of plundering or despoiling.
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authorized plundering of neutrals at sea in time of war.
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Law. the destruction or material alteration of a bill of exchange, will, or the like.
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the act of spoiling or damaging something.
noun
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the act or an instance of despoiling or plundering
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the authorized seizure or plundering of neutral vessels on the seas by a belligerent state in time of war
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law the material alteration of a document so as to render it invalid
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English ecclesiastical law the taking of the fruits of a benefice by a person not entitled to them
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spoliation
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin spoliātiōn- (stem of spoliātiō ), equivalent to spoliāt ( us ) (past participle of spoliāre to spoil; see -ate 1) + -iōn- -ion
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.
Tate director Maria Balshaw said it was "a profound privilege to help reunite this work with its rightful heirs" and that she was "delighted to see the spoliation process working successfully to make this happen".
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2025
Marigold’s lawsuit also sought texts from Kaushik and Hatley via subpoenas, but the lobbyists had deleted their texts “and produced none in response to the subpoenas,” according to the spoliation motion.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 24, 2022
Other counts mentioned in the suit include negligence and negligence per see, intentional spoliation of evidence, negligent entrustment of chattel, negligent hiring, training and supervision and more.
From Fox News • Feb. 7, 2022
Bryant’s attorneys are seeking what are known as spoliation sanctions against county, arguing that because the Sheriff’s Department and the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2021
The application of any such rule to roads already in operation, would be spoliation, pure and simple.
From Monopolies and the People by Cloud, D. C.
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.
