spoliation
noun
spo·li·a·tion
| \ ˌspō-lē-ˈā-shən
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Definition of spoliation
1a
: the act of plundering
b
: the state of having been plundered especially in war
2
: the act of injuring especially beyond reclaim
Examples of spoliation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once that point is reached, countries reforest, another sign that economic advance does not have to mean environmental spoliation. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Another Glimpse of State Terror in Trump’s America," 8 June 2018 Parties that engage in such spoliation are more vulnerable to losing accompanying lawsuits. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Could Bryan Colangelo Still Face Legal Consequences After Parting Ways With 76ers?," 7 June 2018 The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is hiring a new provenance and spoliation curator to help train other staff in provenance research. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "The Persistent Crime of Nazi-Looted Art," 11 Mar. 2018 This sweeping history of the decades after the Civil War decries the spoliations White sees everywhere among robber barons and corrupt politicians. — New York Times, "11 New Books We Recommend This Week," 28 Sep. 2017 Failure to follow these protocols could result in criminal or civil penalties, and could form the basis of legal claims, legal presumptions, or jury instructions relating to spoliation of evidence. — Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, "Full text: Trump transition team memo on keeping documents on Russia and the election," 16 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spoliation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for spoliation
spoliation
noun
spo·li·a·tion
| \ ˌspō-lē-ˈā-shən
\
\
Legal Definition of spoliation
1
: the destruction, alteration, or mutilation of evidence especially by a party for whom the evidence is damaging
2
: alteration or mutilation of an instrument (as a will) by one who is not a party to the instrument