BusinessAugust 22, 2026
expropriation
ek-sproh-pree-AY-shun
Definition
The formal, compulsory transfer of property or assets—such as banks and major corporations—from private ownership into public or state control.
Etymology
Derived from the Medieval Latin 'expropriare', meaning to dispossess, which combines 'ex-' (out of) and 'proprius' (one's own). It entered English in the early 17th century to describe the act of taking property away from an owner.
In the news
The article argues that the solution to corporate disasters in the mining industry requires the expropriation of major companies, moving them from private hands to the democratic control of the workers.
How Chile’s “progressive” government and union bureaucracy covered up the El Teniente disaster
Read the full article ↗World Socialist Web Site