expropriate
verb
Did you know?
If you guessed that expropriate has something in common with the verb appropriate, you're right. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin adjective proprius, meaning "own." Expropriate came to English by way of the Medieval Latin verb expropriare, itself from Latin ex- ("out of" or "from") and proprius. Appropriate descends from Late Latin appropriare, which joins proprius and Latin ad- ("to" or "toward"). Both the verb appropriate ("to take possession of" or "to set aside for a particular use") and the adjective appropriate ("fitting" or "suitable") have been with us since the 15th century, and expropriate was officially appropriated in the 17th century. Other proprius descendants in English include proper and property.
Examples of expropriate in a Sentence
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
That firm is due at least $1.6 billion for assets expropriated by Chávez in 2007.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
The similarities don’t end there: Iran also nationalized the country’s energy infrastructure after expropriating foreign oil companies’ assets in past decades.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
Both companies have filed arbitration cases against Venezuela seeking billions of dollars in compensation for assets that were expropriated by the government.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expropriate
Cite this Entry
“Expropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expropriate. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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expropriate
verb
Legal Definition
expropriate
transitive verb
