confiscate

adjective
con·​fis·​cate | \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt How to pronounce confiscate (audio) , kən-ˈfi-skət How to pronounce confiscate (audio) \

Definition of confiscate

 (Entry 1 of 2)

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

confiscate

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

Definition of confiscate (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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

confiscation \ ˌkän-​fə-​ˈskā-​shən How to pronounce confiscate (audio) \ noun
confiscator \ ˈkän-​fə-​ˌskā-​tər How to pronounce confiscate (audio) \ noun
confiscatory \ kən-​ˈfi-​skə-​ˌtȯr-​ē How to pronounce confiscate (audio) \ adjective

Synonyms for confiscate

Synonyms: Verb

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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 Patrol officers working at the Area Port in Memphis confiscate multiple fake vaccine card shipments -- sometimes up to 15 -- every day, according to CBP. Alaa Elassar, CNN, 14 Aug. 2021 This will directly confiscate a portion of the capital assets of the trust equal to the capital gain tax rate in effect at the time of the assessment. Daniel J. Pilla, National Review, 4 Aug. 2021 Federal authorities have suffered two new court setbacks in their attempt to confiscate tens of millions of dollars seized from Beverly Hills safe deposit boxes that the government was legally barred from searching. Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2021 In 2014, Bundy, several of his brothers and his father led an armed standoff in Nevada with Bureau of Land Management agents who tried to confiscate his father's cattle for grazing on public land without a permit. Rebecca Boone, Star Tribune, 16 July 2021 The state has a program in dire need of help — financial and leadership — that is supposed to confiscate guns from people who aren’t legally allowed to possess them. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2021 The story explains how the FBI wants to confiscate $86 million in cash and millions of dollars more in jewelry and other valuables found in safe deposit boxes at a Beverly Hills business called U.S. Private Vaults. Justin Ray Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2021 Soon afterward, a housekeeper overheard Spears talking on the contraband phone and alerted Jamie, who ordered the housekeeper to confiscate it. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 3 July 2021 To force repayment, officials garnish wages, confiscate tax refunds, and withhold Social Security checks for decades, dooming some families to generations of debt. Susan Paterno, Forbes, 28 June 2021

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.

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First Known Use of confiscate

Adjective

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for confiscate

Adjective

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

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Time Traveler for confiscate

Time Traveler

The first known use of confiscate was circa 1533

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Dictionary Entries Near confiscate

confiscatable

confiscate

confiserie

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Statistics for confiscate

Cite this Entry

“Confiscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confiscate. Accessed 24 Sep. 2021.

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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

confiscate

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

Kids Definition of confiscate

: to seize by or as if by public authority Police confiscated the stolen car.

Other Words from confiscate

confiscation \ ˌkän-​fə-​ˈskā-​shən \ noun

confiscate

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

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

confiscation \ ˌkän-​fə-​ˈskā-​shən How to pronounce confiscate (audio) \ noun
confiscator \ ˈkän-​fə-​ˌskā-​tər How to pronounce confiscate (audio) \ noun
confiscatory \ kən-​ˈfis-​kə-​ˌtōr-​ē How to pronounce confiscate (audio) \ adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on confiscate

Nglish: Translation of confiscate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of confiscate for Arabic Speakers

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