asportation

Asportation is a noun that denotes the act of carrying away or transporting something from one place to another. The word comes from the Latin asportare, “to carry away,” and entered English via Old French.

Legal usage: In historical or specialized legal contexts, asportation refers to the removal or taking away of property from its rightful location or possession, often with implications for ownership, liability, or fraud. In such contexts it may describe the illicit transfer of goods or other chattels, especially when concealment or flight is involved.

Parapsychology and occult usage: In séances and related literature, asportation is used to describe the supposed movement or appearance of objects without ordinary physical means. This usage is closely related to apportation; some writers distinguish asportation as the act of moving an item away from its origin, whereas an apport is the object that materializes during a session. The phenomenon is controversial and not supported by mainstream science; reported cases typically attract skepticism and mundane explanations, such as misperception, misplacement, or deliberate deception.

Etymology and notes: The term is often a synonym or near-synonym of apportation, but its precise sense depends on context—legal, historical, or paranormal. In general English, asportation simply means the act of carrying away.