spoliation
spol·i·a·tion/spoʊliˈeɪʃən/noun
spoliation is spelled S-P-O-L-I-A-T-I-O-N: 10 letters and 4 syllables (spol·i·a·tion). It appears about once in every 16 million words in written English, the 121,279th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, spoliation means “The action of destroying or ruining; destruction, ruin” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of spoliation is spoliations.
How many letters and syllables are in spoliation?
| Letters | 10: S-P-O-L-I-A-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: spol·i·a·tion |
| In writing | about once in every 16 million words; the 121,279th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is spoliation?
Spoliation appears about once in every 16 million words in written English, the 121,279th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce spoliation?
- UK /spəʊliˈeɪʃn̩/
- US /spoʊliˈeɪʃən/
Spoliation has 4 syllables, split spol·i·a·tion in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-spoliation.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-spoliation.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with spoliation?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as spoliation from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃən/):
- situation
- association
- population
- administration
- operation
- organization
- application
- location
- generation
- foundation
- conversation
- investigation
Spelled with the same letters in another order: positional.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of spoliation
- spoliations plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spoliation mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
archaicThe action of spoliating, or forcibly seizing property; pillage, plunder; also, the state of having property forcibly seized; (countable) an instance of this; a robbery, a seizure.
- 2
The action of destroying or ruining; destruction, ruin.
- 3
The action of an incumbent (“holder of an ecclesiastical benefice”) wrongfully depriving another of the emoluments of a benefice.
- 4
A lawsuit brought or writ issued by an incumbent against another, claiming that the latter has wrongfully taken the emoluments of a benefice.
- 5
The intentional destruction of, or tampering with, a document so as to impair its evidentiary value.
- 6
The systematic forcible seizure of property during a crisis or state of unrest such as that caused by war, now regarded as a crime; looting, pillage, plunder; (countable) an instance of this.
Spoliation of Jewish property by Nazi authorities occurred on a large scale during World War II.
- 7
The government-sanctioned action or practice of plundering neutral ships at sea; (countable) an instance of this.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spoliation in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | espoliação |
| Spanish | espoliación, espolio |
| French | spoliation |
| German | Beweisvereitelung |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does spoliation come from?
From Late Middle English spoliacioun (“looting, robbery, theft; an instance of this; (ecclesiastical) wrongful deprivation of the emoluments of a benefice due to another”), from Anglo-Norman spoliacioun, espolïacion, and directly from their etymon Latin spoliātiō (“plundering, robbing”), from spoliāre + -tiō (suffix forming nouns denoting a process, action, or result of an action).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).