ex ‧ pro ‧ pri ‧ ate /ɪkˈsprəʊprieɪt $ -ˈsproʊ-/ BrE AmE verb [transitive] formal
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: past participle of expropriare , from Latin proprius 'your own' ]
1 . if a government or someone in authority expropriates your private property, they take it away for public use
2 . to take something from someone illegally in order to use it
—expropriation /ɪkˌsprəʊpriˈeɪʃ ə n $ -ˌsproʊ-/ noun [uncountable and countable]