confiscate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to seize as forfeited to the public domain; appropriate, by way of penalty, for public use.
-
to seize by or as if by authority; appropriate summarily.
The border guards confiscated our movie cameras.
adjective
verb
adjective
-
seized or confiscated; forfeit
-
having lost or been deprived of property through confiscation
Other Word Forms
- confiscatable adjective
- confiscation noun
- confiscator noun
- reconfiscate verb (used with object)
- unconfiscated adjective
Etymology
Origin of confiscate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin confiscātus “seized,” past participle of confiscāre “to seize for the public treasury,” equivalent to con- con- + fisc(us) “basket, moneybag, public treasury” ( fiscal ) + -āre, verb infinitive suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
NGOs have complained about their staff being detained, assets confiscated, work permits delayed, and their work dictated by the Houthis' agenda.
From BBC
She bypassed screen-time limits and sneaked out of her bedroom at night to find her phone when her mother confiscated it, she added.
Behind the camera, filming in Iran came with its challenges - Khaki and Eyni say they faced delays obtaining permits from local authorities, interrogations and had their hard drives confiscated.
From BBC
The monitors also tried to confiscate four power banks and chargers.
From Los Angeles Times
Berlin city's government says confiscating the properties on these grounds would be the job of the Lichtenberg city district that takes in Karlshorst.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
