eminent domain

English

Etymology

Calque of New Latin dominium ēminēns (literally “supreme ownership”).

Noun

eminent domain (uncountable) (property law)

  1. (US, Philippines) The right of a government over the private property within its jurisdiction. Usually invoked to compel land owners to sell their property in preparation for a major construction project such as a freeway.
    The city council used eminent domain to make me sell my store.
  2. (historical) In feudalism, the legal interest or rights of a lord or superior in an estate in land held in fee, as opposed to the vassal's or tenant's interest.

Usage notes

Eminent is frequently confused with immanent, immanant, and emanate, which are homophones and near-rhymes in many accents, leading to pseudowords like “immanent domain”.

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