expropriate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2021 is: expropriate \ek-SPROH-pree-ayt\ verb 1 : to deprive of possession or proprietary rights 2 : to transfer (the property of another) to one's own possession Examples: The city council rejected a proposal to expropriate private property for the highway expansion. "Newspapers, in particular, have had their content unfairly expropriated by the lords of the internet, even as the advertising that once sustained the news business has been snatched away by the same online behemoths." — David Horsey, The Seattle Times,18 Mar. 2021 Did you know? If you guessed that expropriate has something in common with the verb [appropriate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appropriate#h2), you're right. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin adjective proprius, meaning "own." Expropriate came to English by way of the Medieval Latin verb expropriare, itself from Latin ex- ("out of" or "from") and proprius. Appropriate descends from Late Latin appropriare, which joins proprius and Latin ad- ("to" or "toward"). Both the verb appropriate ("to take possession of" or "to set aside for a particular use") and the adjective [appropriate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appropriate#h1) ("fitting" or "suitable") have been with us since the 15th century, and expropriate was officially appropriated in the 17th century. Other proprius descendants in English include [proper](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proper) and [property](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/property).

Om Podcasten

Build your vocabulary with Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day! Each day a Merriam-Webster editor offers insight into a fascinating new word -- explaining its meaning, current use, and little-known details about its origin.