confiscate

adjective con·fis·cate \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt , kən-ˈfi-skət \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Examples: confiscate in a Sentence

Definition of confiscate

1 : appropriated by the government : forfeited

2 : deprived of property by confiscation

Origin and Etymology of confiscate

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

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First Known Use: circa 1533

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

confiscate

verb con·fis·cate \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt \

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

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confiscation

play \ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən\ noun

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confiscator

play \ˈkän-fə-ˌskā-tər\ noun

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confiscatory

play \kən-ˈfi-skə-ˌtȯr-ē\ adjective

See confiscate defined for English-language learners

See confiscate defined for kids

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

Fail to lock up your marijuana, and you’ll be hit with a $100 fine and have your cannabis confiscated.

— matthew ormseth, courant.com, "What To Know About Recreational Marijuana Sales in Massachusetts," 5 July 2018
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini visited a farm confiscated from the mafia in Siena, Italy on Tuesday.

— valentina pop, WSJ, "Europe’s Nativist Swing Casts Shadow Over Establishment," 5 July 2018
To refill its coffers, the Crown turned the Royal Navy into a customs force and instructed it to seize ships and confiscate smuggled cargo in order to induce the colonists to pay duty on imports.

— peter andreas, Washington Post, "Breaking border laws is as American as it gets," 3 July 2018
Officials also found and confiscated an additional 40 crates of commercial fireworks, Boccuzzi said.

— thomas oide, BostonGlobe.com, "Beverly police seize cache of homemade fireworks, issue warning to public," 2 July 2018
Two months ago troopers made a similar-sized bust in the Bristol Bay village of Togiak, confiscating 56 grams of heroin from 32-year-old Patrick Einhellig.

— michelle theriault boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Troopers arrest two, seize $56,000 of heroin in small Southeast Alaska village," 2 July 2018
The indictment also alleges Nhekairo concealed the immigrant’s status for purposes of financial gain and confiscated the victim’s passport to maintain her labor and services, according to prosecutors.

— luke broadwater, baltimoresun.com, "Federal prosecutors charge Anne Arundel County woman with harboring undocumented immigrant," 29 June 2018
Parade watchers should not set out any items, such as blankets or lawn chairs, along the parade route before 8 a.m. The Havre de Grace Police Department will confiscate anything set out before that time.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Independence Day festivities in Harford County start Saturday," 29 June 2018
No, not the camera-ready kind that gun nuts believe populate school sites after mass shootings, but the friendly face this administration put on its inhumane policy of confiscating immigrant children from their parents.

— paul thornton, latimes.com, "Crossing the U.S. border shouldn't send you to jail," 23 June 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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confiscate Synonyms

CONFISCATE Defined for English Language Learners

confiscate

verb

Definition of confiscate for English Language Learners

: to take (something) away from someone especially as punishment or to enforce the law or rules

CONFISCATE Defined for Kids

confiscate

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.

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confiscation

\ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən\ noun

Law Dictionary

confiscate

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.

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