tr.v. ex·pro·pri·at·ed, ex·pro·pri·at·ing, ex·pro·pri·ates To take (a property) for public use. [Medieval Latin expropriāre, expropriāt- : Latin ex-, ex- + Latin propriāre, to appropriate (from proprius, one's own; see PROPER).] ex·pro′pri·ation n. ex·propri·a′tor n. ex·propri·a·to′ry (-ə-tôr′ē) adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.