spoliation
noun
spo·li·a·tion
ˌspō-lē-ˈā-shən 
1
a
: 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
Epic filed a motion to sanction Google for alleged spoliation of evidence in October.
—
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2023
The motion for spoliation sanctions is the latest move in the lawsuit by the widow of Kobe Bryant for severe emotional distress after learning that deputies and firefighters shared gruesome images of the crash scene where her husband, daughter Gianna and seven others died in January 2020.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2021
There is usually an artist somewhere at the bottom of that story of spoliation.
—New York Times, 19 Apr. 2022
Members of the Isle de Jean Charles band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe, the Pointe-au-Chien Tribe, and the Houma Nation experienced the spoliation of their current and ancestral homes.
—Anya Groner, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2021
The audit's Twitter account strikes a different tone, accusing the county of deleting election databases and spoliation of evidence.
—Staff Reports, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2021
The suit accuses Gladney of assault, battery, false imprisonment and spoliation of evidence.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 30 July 2021
On Wednesday, the auditors' Twitter account alleged Maricopa County deleted a directory full of election databases before the election equipment was delivered to the audit, claiming spoliation of evidence.
—Carrie Watters, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2021
And now Bryant’s attorneys want more time to substantiate Bryant’s allegation that Villanueva’s actions constitute evidence spoliation instead of an attempt to keep the photos out of public circulation.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 12 May 2021
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2023
The motion for spoliation sanctions is the latest move in the lawsuit by the widow of Kobe Bryant for severe emotional distress after learning that deputies and firefighters shared gruesome images of the crash scene where her husband, daughter Gianna and seven others died in January 2020.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2021
There is usually an artist somewhere at the bottom of that story of spoliation.
—New York Times, 19 Apr. 2022
Members of the Isle de Jean Charles band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe, the Pointe-au-Chien Tribe, and the Houma Nation experienced the spoliation of their current and ancestral homes.
—Anya Groner, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2021
The audit's Twitter account strikes a different tone, accusing the county of deleting election databases and spoliation of evidence.
—Staff Reports, The Arizona Republic, 25 Sep. 2021
The suit accuses Gladney of assault, battery, false imprisonment and spoliation of evidence.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 30 July 2021
On Wednesday, the auditors' Twitter account alleged Maricopa County deleted a directory full of election databases before the election equipment was delivered to the audit, claiming spoliation of evidence.
—Carrie Watters, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2021
And now Bryant’s attorneys want more time to substantiate Bryant’s allegation that Villanueva’s actions constitute evidence spoliation instead of an attempt to keep the photos out of public circulation.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 12 May 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spoliation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spoliation
Cite this Entry
“Spoliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spoliation. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
spoliation
noun
spo·li·a·tion
ˌspō-lē-ˈā-shən
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
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