spoliation

Noun

spoliation (countable and uncountable, plural spoliations)

1. (archaic, uncountable) The action of spoliating, or forcibly seizing property; pillage, plunder; also, the state of having property forcibly seized; (countable) an instance of this; a robbery, a seizure.
   • The weapons of the empire had been […] an unequalled genius for organization, and an uniform system of external law and order. This was generally a real boon to conquered nations, because it substituted a fixed and regular spoliation for the fortuitous and arbitrary miseries of savage warfare: […]1852 January – 1853 April, Charles Kingsley, Jun., “Preface”, in Hypatia: Or, New Foes with an Old Face. […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], published 1853, →OCLC, page ix
   • How many people out of the suit, Jarndyce and Jarndyce has stretched forth its unwholesome hand to spoil and corrupt, would be a very wide question. […] In trickery, evasion, procrastination, spoliation, botheration, under false pretences of all sorts, there are influences that can never come to...1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, “In Chancery”, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC, page 4

   Synonyms:

   deprivation, despoliation, exspoliation, plundering, rapine, spoil

2. (broadly, uncountable) The action of destroying or ruining; destruction, ruin.
   • Marks of violence were visible in every part; a cupboard had been forced open, and the contents of a chest of drawers were scattered about the room. The shop bore even more evident signs of spoliation—that reckless wastefulness which seems the constant companion of cruelty; but little of the...[1832], L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Knife”, in Heath’s Book of Beauty. M.DCCC.XXXIII. […], London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, […] [for Charles Heath], →OCLC, page 121
   • There is much sad evidence, too, of the spoliation and dereliction of vanished industry: tips, slag-heaps and derelict colliery-screens among which the ubiquitous, nomad mountain sheep graze unconcernedly.1955 July, D. S. Barrie, “Railways of the Bridgend District”, in The Railway Magazine, London: Tothill Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 449
3. (broadly, historical, uncountable) The action of an incumbent (“holder of an ecclesiastical benefice”) wrongfully depriving another of the emoluments of a benefice.
   • A Benefice is ſaid to be vacant de Facto, and not de Jure, vvhen the Poſſeſſion thereof is loſt by Spoliation or Intruſion, and the like: […]1726, John Ayliffe, “Of Ecclesiastical Benefices, the Division of Them, &c.”, in Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani: Or, A Commentary, by Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of the...
   • Spoliation is an injury done by one clerk or incumbent to another, in taking the fruits of his benefice vvithout any right thereunto, but under a pretended title. It is remedied by a decree to account for the profits ſo taken. […] [A] patron firſt preſents A to a benefice, vvho is inſtituted and...1768, William Blackstone, “Of the Cognizance of Private Wrongs”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 91
4. (broadly, countable, historical) A lawsuit brought or writ issued by an incumbent against another, claiming that the latter has wrongfully taken the emoluments of a benefice.
   • [W]here one ſaith to the Patron, that his Clerk is dead, whereupon he preſents another: there the firſt Incumbent, who was ſuppoſed to be dead, may have a Spoliation againſt the other.1667, [John Rastell], “Spoliation”, in [William Rastell], transl., Les Termes de la Ley: Or, Certain Difficult and Obscure Words and Terms of the Common Laws and Statutes of this Realm Now in Use...
5. (broadly, uncountable) The intentional destruction of, or tampering with, a document so as to impair its evidentiary value.
   • Plaintiff, a child injured during birth, alleges that defendant hospital intentionally destroyed evidence relevant to his malpractice action against the hospital. He seeks to bring a separate tort cause of action against defendant hospital for its alleged intentional spoliation—that is, intentional...1998 May 11, [Joyce Luther] Kennard, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California, “Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. Superior Court (Bowyer)”, in Supreme Court of California Resources, Robert Crown...
6. (broadly, uncountable, international law) The systematic forcible seizure of property during a crisis or state of unrest such as that caused by war, now regarded as a crime; looting, pillage, plunder; (countable) an instance of this.
   • Spoliation of Jewish property by Nazi authorities occurred on a large scale during World War II.
   • We propose at this time to present evidence disclosing what the conspirators intended to do with conquered territories, called by them Lebensraum, after they had succeeded in overpowering the victims of their aggressions. We have broadly divided this subject into two categories: Germanization and...1945 December 14 (date delivered), Samuel Harris, assistant trial counsel for the United States, “Twentieth Day, Friday, 14 December 1945, Afternoon Session”, in Trial of the Major War Criminals...
7. (broadly, historical, uncountable) The government-sanctioned action or practice of plundering neutral ships at sea; (countable) an instance of this.
   • Immediately after the rupture with Great Britain in February, 1793, France, by waging war with nearly all Europe, and while oppressed by famine and the starving policy of England, commenced her spoliations on our commerce. Our ships were plundered as well by the armed vessels of France as by...1846 April 23–24, John M[iddleton] Clayton, “French Spoliations. Speech of John M. Clayton, of Delaware, in the Senate, April 23 and 24, 1846.”, in [Francis Preston] Blair and [John C.] Rives...