Paul Hawken

For the developed world, there is a choice to be made: to promote economic policies that despoil indigenous lands or to support cultures and the remaining biological sanctuaries.

American Environmentalist

Elihu Root

No nation now sets forth to despoil another upon the avowed ground that it desires the spoils.

American Lawyer

Use 'despoil' to describe someone forcefully stealing during conflicts or wars.

Forceful Robbery

'Despoil' often implies that damage is done, not just theft.

Destruction Implied

Using 'despoil' carries a strong negative emotional charge against the action.

Negative Emotion

Use 'despoil' when something beautiful or pristine gets visually ruined.

Visual Spoiling

This word often expresses environmental harm or damage to nature.

Environmental Concern

'Despoil' also refers to a decrease in value, not just physical damage.

Value Reduction

 And wasn't it reason that gave us the means to despoil the planet and threaten our species with weapons of mass destruction? In this way of thinking, it's character and conscience, not cold-hearted calculation, that will save us. Besides, a human being is not a brain on a stick. My fellow psychologists have shown that we're led