eminent domain

American  

noun

Law.

1. the power of the state to take private property for public use with payment of compensation to the owner.

---

eminent domain British  

noun

1. law the right of a state to confiscate private property for public use, payment usually being made to the owners in compensation

---

eminent domain Cultural  

1. The right of a government to take private property for a public purpose, usually with just compensation of the owner.

---

Etymology

Origin of eminent domain

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

The Fisher Island Community Association, which represents property owners, and Fisher Island Club, a country club, sued Miami-Dade County in federal court in January to block the county from exercising eminent domain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

The Fisher Island Community Association, which represents property owners, and Fisher Island Club, a country club, sued Miami-Dade in federal court in January, seeking to block the county from exercising eminent domain.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Landowners in communities adjacent to the park are still gearing up to face eminent domain challenges from the federal government.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

As selectman, he threatens to co-opt it using eminent domain.

From Slate • Apr. 14, 2025

When this Government was founded, while claiming the right of eminent domain over the whole country, it never denied the "right of occupancy" of the aborigines.

From The Indian To-day The Past and Future of the First American by Eastman, Charles Alexander