confiscate
adjective
kən-ˈfi-skət
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Definition of confiscate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : appropriated by the government : forfeited
2 : deprived of property by confiscation
confiscate
verb
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Definition of confiscate (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to seize as forfeited to the public treasury
2 : to seize by or as if by authority
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Other words from confiscate
Verb
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noun
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noun
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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: Verb
José Luis Muñoz Toca, a top official of the General Customs Agency, told reporters at a news conference in Havana on Wednesday that his agency confiscated more than three tons of merchandise sent by companies abroad. — Mario J. Pentón, miamiherald, "If you send packages to relatives or friends in Cuba, goods could get confiscated," 7 June 2018 This, predictably, infuriated the Mosse lawyers: In the 1950s, and again in the 1990s, after German reunification, German authorities established unequivocally that the Nazis had illegally confiscated the Palais and other Mosse properties. — Berthold Steinhilber, Smithsonian, "The Lost Maidens of Berlin," 24 May 2018 In January, Stirling told the Post and Courier that the state of South Carolina had confiscated around 6,300 contraband cellphones and cellphone parts in 2017. — Victoria Mckenzie, CBS News, "Are cellphones really to blame for spike in S.C. prison violence?," 19 Apr. 2018 In the leadup to this series, Steve Kerr joked that Popovich had confiscated Nick’s cell phone. — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Can Spurs trust Steve Kerr’s son?," 14 Apr. 2018 Police released several images of the fake currency that officers confiscated. — Laurel Andrews, Anchorage Daily News, "Police: Here’s what the counterfeit money circulating in Anchorage looks like," 22 Mar. 2018 Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told a national conference of correctional officials Monday that the Bureau of Prisons confiscated 5,116 cellphones from inmates in 2016 and that last year's number will probably be higher. — Pete Williams, NBC News, "Justice Department moves to jam smuggled prison cellphones," 8 Jan. 2018 The Bentley was featured in it, so the dictator confiscated the car when its owner wouldn’t sell it to him. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "Saddam Hussein’s 1958 Bentley stars at Concours d'Elegance of America," 11 July 2018 Detectives also confiscated six guns, police said, some of which had been reported stolen. — Christine Dempsey, courant.com, "Hartford Police Make Five Arrests, Seize 20 Pounds Of Heroin In A Trifecta Of Drug Busts," 10 July 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for confiscate
confiscate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of confiscate
: to take (something) away from someone especially as punishment or to enforce the law or rules
See the full definition for confiscate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
confiscate
verb
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Kids Definition of confiscate
: to seize by or as if by public authority Police confiscated the stolen car.
confiscate
transitive verb
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Legal Definition of confiscate
: 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.
Other words from confiscate
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noun
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adjective
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