Definition of confiscate
1
:appropriated by the government :forfeited
2
:deprived of property by confiscation
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From the M-W Editors
Origin and Etymology of confiscate
Latin confiscatus, past participle of confiscare to confiscate, from com- + fiscus treasury
Definition of confiscate
confiscated;
confiscating
transitive verb
1
:to seize as forfeited to the public treasury
2
:to seize by or as if by authority
Examples of confiscate in a Sentence
Guards confiscated knives and other weapons from the prisoners.
The teacher confiscated all cell phones for the duration of the field trip.
Recent Examples of confiscate from the Web
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After waiting for hours in 107-degree heat to get into the rally hall — where their water bottles were confiscated by security — people were tired and dehydrated and the president just wasn’t keeping their attention.
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If the person seeking help has drugs or paraphernalia with them, the police will confiscate and destroy them, according to Keane.
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One night, after confiscating his computer and iPad, Elizabeth woke up at two in the morning with a feeling of dread.
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Shaw was arrested by Kent police in January for DUI and officers at that time confiscated one of his guns, a .45-caliber handgun, the charges say.
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In 1999, she was confronted by two LAPD officers enforcing a quality-of-life law allowing them to ticket people using shopping carts without a store’s permission and to confiscate the carts, a law almost exclusively enforced against homeless people.
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The year before the Wounded Knee massacre, the U.S. government confiscated millions of acres of the Sioux’s sacred He’ Sapa territory and assigned the Lakota to reservations.
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China African park rangers who protect elephants gathered in Hong Kong to insist that the region ban all ivory sales and confiscate stockpiled supplies without reimbursing vendors.
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The detectives also confiscated a BB gun during the stop, police said.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confiscate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of confiscate
1552
CONFISCATE Defined for English Language Learners
confiscate
play
verb
Definition of confiscate for English Language Learners
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: to take (something) away from someone especially as punishment or to enforce the law or rules
CONFISCATE Defined for Kids
confiscate
play
verb
con·fis·cate
\
ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt
\
Definition of confiscate for Students
confiscated;
confiscating
:to seize by or as if by public authority
- Police confiscated the stolen car.
—
confiscation
\ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən\ nounLaw Dictionary
confiscate
play
transitive verb
con·fis·cate
\
ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt
\
legal Definition of confiscate
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.
Learn More about confiscate
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See words that rhyme with confiscate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for confiscate Spanish Central: Translation of confiscate Nglish: Translation of confiscate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of confiscate for Arabic speakers
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