The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Expropriation \Ex*pro`pri*a"tion\, n. [Cf. F. expropriation.]
   The act of expropriating; the surrender of a claim to
   exclusive property; the act of depriving of ownership or
   proprietary rights. --W. Montagu.
   [1913 Webster]

         The expropriation of bad landlords.      --M. Arnold.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

expropriation
    n 1: taking out of an owner's hands (especially taking property
         by public authority)