Eminent domain

right of a government to appropriate private property for public use

Eminent domain (United States), compulsory purchase (United Kingdom, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Australia) or expropriation (Canada, South Africa) in common law legal systems is the inherent power of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or rights in property, without the owner's consent. The property is taken either for government use or by delegation to third parties who will devote it to "public use." The most common uses of property taken by eminent domain are public utilities, highways, and railroads. Some states require that the government body offer to purchase the property before resorting to the use of eminent domain.
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Noun
1. 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
(hypernym) legal right
(classification) law, jurisprudence

USA: The legal power to expropriate private land for the sake of public necessity. - (read more on Eminent domain)