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Glite Dictionary
eminent domain

eminent domain

20 6.3
The government's right to take private property for public use and pay the owner
  • noun
  • /ˈɛmɪnənt deɪˈmɛn/
  • Formal
: expropiación
  • The value is determined the same way as in any eminent domain proceeding when two sides can't agree.
  • eminent domain power
  • exercise of eminent domain
  • right of eminent domain

When you look at Suzette Kilo and what she did, essentially what happened is eminent domain was not used in its proper way.

Examples

  • The Constitution granted the government the power of eminent domain for projects considered to be for the public good.

    Blog text (19)

  • Well, it appears that eminent domain does apply under this case.

    The Salon (2005)

  • Now you want to tell me how to fight an eminent domain case?

    God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness (2018)

  • At this point, the government would purchase the property through the exercise of eminent domain.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The prospect of eminent domain arose during the developer's initial talks with city officials.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Like many Rust Belt cities and older suburbs, Norwood has used the legal weapon of eminent domain in its attempt to reinvent itself.

    Academic text (2005)

  • A municipality, however, retains the right to exercise its power of eminent domain and pay just compensation for its noncompliance with the freeze provision.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling in favor of the city council's bid to enact eminent domain laws was met with last-minute protests at City Hall yesterday.

    Mulberry Street (2006)

  • The city plans to use eminent domain to build a new highway through private property.

  • Many residents protested when the government announced it would take their homes through eminent domain.

Synonyms

expropriation
vseminent domain
  • Formal
3 9.1

The taking of private land by the government to use for a public project

is the legal right that allows government to take property with compensation

Surface Forms

eminent domain singular
eminent domains plural

Morphology

eminent + domain

Although the constituents 'eminent' (notably distinguished) and 'domain' (territory or area) are individually understandable, their combination does not transparently yield the legal sense of a government's right to take private property. This is a specialized legal term (equivalent to 'expropriation') whose meaning is conventionally established rather than predictably compositional, so a B1 learner knowing the words would likely not infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Eminent domain comes from old ideas that the government is above private owners: eminent means 'higher' and domain means 'land' or 'property'. So imagine a higher power standing over a house and taking the land for 'public use', but giving the owner a fair 'payment'—that picture explains why the phrase means the government's right to take private property with payment.