confiscate

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

|Updated on: 7 Aug 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

NEW! Time Traveler

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

According to Page Six, all phones were confiscated from guests and there was a social media ban at the couple’s nuptials.

— colleen kratofil, PEOPLE.com, "Anna Wintour's Daughter Bee Shaffer Marries Francesco Carrozzini in Intimate Long Island Wedding," 9 July 2018
Of the 3,500 guns confiscated by IMPD last year, nearly half were previously reported as stolen to IMPD.

— vic ryckaert, Indianapolis Star, "As murders rise among Indianapolis youth, so too does the search for answers," 2 July 2018
His gun, which had been confiscated by police during that time, was returned to him and was used a few weeks later in the Florida shooting.

— curt anderson, Fox News, "Alaska man agrees to guilty plea in Florida airport shooting," 2 May 2018
Upper-class families like Ms. Yip-Williams’s had their assets confiscated by Vietnam’s Communist government.

— richard sandomir, New York Times, "Julie Yip-Williams, Writer of Candid Blog on Cancer, Dies at 42," 22 Mar. 2018
It was founded by brothers who were Cuban refugees and whose father, the firm says, owned a construction company in Cuba that was confiscated by Fidel Castro.

— patricia mazzei, BostonGlobe.com, "Engineer of Florida bridge reported cracks days before collapse," 17 Mar. 2018
One in Indiana, for example, might allow individuals to purchase guns while theirs are confiscated by a judge.

— chrissie thompson, Cincinnati.com, "John Kasich's 'commonsense' gun control plan: Would new Ohio gun laws make a difference?," 1 Mar. 2018
The measure, filed by Democratic Reps. Reginald Meeks and Attica Scott, both of Louisville, would repeal the deranged law that requires guns used in violent crimes and confiscated by police to be resold at auction.

— joseph gerth, The Courier-Journal, "This rural Kentucky lawmaker is turning his back on the NRA and supporting students," 22 Feb. 2018
The judge also ordered the Sharif family's London properties confiscated.

— munir ahmed, Fox News, "Pakistani court sentences ex-PM Sharif to 10 years in prison," 6 July 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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