expropiar

to expropriate

verb ehs-proh-pyAHR Rare

Usage Note

Expropiar means to seize private property by state authority, typically with (at least nominal) compensation — unlike confiscar (to confiscate), which implies no compensation and often a penalty. The noun is expropiación and the affected person is the expropiado. In legal and political debates the distinction between expropiación (with compensation) and confiscación (without) is significant.

Examples

"El gobierno decidió expropiar los terrenos."

Natural Translation

The government decided to expropriate the land.

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