eminent domain

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The power of a government to take private property for public use without the owner's consent, provided just compensation is given.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun US The right of a government over the lands within its jurisdiction. Usually invoked to compel land owners to sell their property in preparation for a major construction project such as a freeway.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun the right of the state to take private property for public use; the Fifth Amendment that was added to the Constitution of the United States requires that just compensation be made