confiscate

1 of 2

adjective

1
: appropriated by the government : forfeited
2
: deprived of property by confiscation

confiscate

2 of 2

verb

con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
confiscated; confiscating

transitive verb

1
: to seize as forfeited to the public treasury
2
: to seize by or as if by authority
confiscation noun
confiscator noun
confiscatory adjective

Examples of confiscate in a Sentence

Verb Guards confiscated knives and other weapons from the prisoners. The teacher confiscated all cell phones for the duration of the field trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
In November, 2015, Turkish authorities confiscated nearly eleven million tablets hidden inside a shipment of oil filters headed for the Gulf. Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers confiscated more than 175 pounds of the drug during a traffic stop involving a Dodge Ram pickup on IH-35 in Webb Country. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Two days before, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation confiscated Peanut from his home in Pine City, New York. Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024 During the 60-day period, the Lebanese army would also dismantle and confiscate all non-state military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Barak Ravid, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for confiscate 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin confiscatus, past participle of confiscare to confiscate, from com- + fiscus treasury

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confiscate was circa 1533

Dictionary Entries Near confiscate

Cite this Entry

“Confiscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confiscate. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

confiscate

verb
con·​fis·​cate
ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt
confiscated; confiscating
: to seize by or as if by public authority
smuggled goods may be confiscated by the police
confiscation
ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən
noun
confiscator
ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt-ər
noun
confiscatory
kən-ˈfis-kə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
adjective

Legal Definition

confiscate

transitive verb
con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
confiscated; confiscating
: to seize without compensation as forfeited to the public treasury compare criminal forfeiture

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.

confiscation noun
confiscator noun
confiscatory adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on confiscate

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