kən-ˈfi-skət
Synonyms
Examples of confiscate in a Sentence
Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 13 Dec. 2024
In 2009, the high-school student was taken from her home in Homs by Syrian security forces, and her computer, CDs and other possessions confiscated, according to Amnesty International.
—Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Authorities also confiscated the suspects' passports and imposed restrictions on their communication with others.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
According to the news agency, more than 20 of the works on display were confiscated in 2016 from a member of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia, which is based in the southern Italian region of Calabria.
—Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near confiscate
Cite this Entry
“Confiscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confiscate. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
confiscate
transitive verb
Note: Illegal items such as narcotics or firearms, or profits from the sale of illegal items, may be confiscated by law enforcement officers. Additionally, government action that reduces the value of property to a person or entity as to make it nearly worthless has been held to constitute confiscation. Examples of such government action include the passage of zoning laws that prevent the use of land for its designated purpose and the setting of utility rates so low that the utility company cannot realize a reasonable return on its investment.
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