Practical Law Glossary Item 0-501-7444 (Approx. 2 pages)
Glossary
Eminent Domain
The right of the state to take private property without the property owner's consent. The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution requires just compensation to be given to the property owner when private property is taken by the federal government. States also have powers of eminent domain. The act of taking the private property is called condemnation or expropriation.