asportation
|as-por-ta-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌæs.pɔrˈteɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌæs.pɔːrˈteɪ.ʃən/
carrying away
Etymology
'asportation' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'asportare', where the prefix 'ad-/as-' meant 'to/toward' and 'portare' meant 'to carry'.
'asportation' changed from Late Latin/Anglo-French words such as Late Latin 'asportatio' and Anglo-French 'asportacion', and eventually became the modern English word 'asportation'.
Initially, it meant 'the action of carrying away', and over time it retained that basic sense but became specialized in legal usage to denote the carrying away of a person or property as an element of crimes like abduction or theft.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(legal) The act of carrying away a person, typically by force or fraud; a required element in crimes such as kidnapping or abduction.
The prosecution argued that the defendant's forced removal of the child constituted asportation necessary for a conviction of abduction.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
the act of carrying away property; removal or carrying off of goods (used in contexts relating to theft or larceny).
The court examined whether there had been asportation of the goods before a larceny conviction could be secured.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 3
(archaic/general) The act of carrying or transporting something away.
Older texts use 'asportation' simply to describe the asportation of goods from one market to another.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/01 02:32