Search for crossword answers and clues
The act of stripping and taking by force
Answer for the clue "The act of stripping and taking by force ", 10 letters:
spoliation
Word definitions for spoliation in dictionaries
Wiktionary
Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. 1 The act of plundering or spoiling; robbery; deprivation; despoliation. 2 Robbery or plunder in times of war; especially, the authorized act or practice of plundering neutrals at sea. 3 (context legal English) The intentional destruction of or tampering ...
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Spoliation \Spo`li*a"tion\ (sp[=o]"l[i^]*[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [L. spoliatio: cf. F. spoliation. See Spoil , v. t.] The act of plundering; robbery; deprivation; despoliation. Legal spoliation, which will impoverish one part of the community in order to corrupt ...
WordNet
Word definitions in WordNet
n. (law) the intentional destruction of a document or an alteration of it that destroys its value as evidence the act of stripping and taking by force [syn: spoil , spoilation , despoilation , despoilment , despoliation ]
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"robbery, plunder," c.1400, from Latin spoliationem (nominative spoliatio ) "a robbing, plundering, pillaging," noun of action from past participle stem of spoliare "to plunder, rob" (see spoil (v.)).
Usage examples of spoliation.
The reader may have to learn, and not, perhaps, without some surprise, that in the protocol of the sittings of the Congress of Chatillon Napoleon put forward the spoliation of Poland by the three principal powers allied against him as a claim to a more advantageous peace, and to territorial indemnities for France.
France, and the spoliation of the Louvre was not pleasant even to the Royalists.
Mohammed Damoor had again gone forth into the market-place, and lifted up his voice and prophesied a second spoliation of the Israelites.
If the predicted spoliation was prevented, poor Mohammed Damoor must have been forced, I suppose, to say that he had prophesied in a metaphorical sense.
It helped to keep the Emperor tranquil during the spoliation of his Spanish kinsman.
But Turkey could defend itself, and could not be subjected to spoliation without a struggle, which Austria would have to carry on.
So that, if spoliation did not exist, society being perfect, the social sciences would be without an object.
When spoliation becomes a means of subsistence for a body of men united by social ties, in course of time they make a law which sanctions it, a morality which glorifies it.
In such a case the latter soon become so reduced that they can no longer satisfy the cupidity of the former, and spoliation ceases for want of sustenance.
Without it, provided the strength of oppressors and oppressed were equal, spoliation would have no end.
It may even happen that they believe that they owe every thing to spoliation, not only what is left them but what is taken from them, and what is lost in the operation.
And such is the power of public opinion that it separates the idea of injustice from spoliation, and even rids the despoiler of the consciousness of his wrong-doing.
How can they restrain these acts of spoliation when these very acts are raised by public opinion to the level of the highest virtues?
It follows that to enlighten the mind is to deprive this species of spoliation of its support.
The first which presents itself is spoliation through the avenue of superstition.