confiscate

adjective

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con·fis·cate | \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt

, kən-ˈfi-skət

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

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

\ noun

confiscator \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskā-tər

\ noun

confiscatory \ kən-ˈfi-skə-ˌtȯr-ē

\ adjective

Synonyms for confiscate

Synonyms: Verb

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 In tandem, the state Office of Victim Services, or OVS, exercised its right to confiscate the money. — Emma Tucker, WSJ, "New York’s ‘Son of Sam’ Law Invoked in German Heiress Fraud Scheme," 28 Dec. 2020 Some states have also passed red flag laws, which give law enforcement the power to confiscate weapons belonging to those who may pose a danger to themselves or others. — Fox News, "Kamala Harris calls to 'honor' Sandy Hook victims with gun reforms," 14 Dec. 2020 The homes of 11 members of Wolfsbrigade 44 were searched in Hesse, Mecklenburg West-Pomerania and North Rhine-Westphalia to confiscate the far-right group’s funds and propaganda material, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported. — Washington Post, "World Digest: Dec. 1, 2020," 1 Dec. 2020 Others fretted the government would send soldiers to confiscate their treasure. — New York Times, "Treasure Washes Up on Venezuela’s Shore, Bringing Gold and Hope to a Village," 12 Dec. 2020 Police obtained search warrants to confiscate and examine Davis' items. — Star Tribune, "Minneapolis police investigator admits to using 'deception' to question, arrest alleged murder accomplice," 17 Nov. 2020 The journalists wanted to secure the archive outside Brazil as soon as possible, in case authorities tried to confiscate it. — Darren Loucaides, Wired, "The Scammer Who Wanted to Save His Country," 13 Nov. 2020 Human rights organizations have said that, despite rules outlawing the practice, employers have continued to confiscate passports. — Simone Foxman, Bloomberg.com, "Why ‘Kafala’ Labor Rules Are an Issue in Persian Gulf," 17 Sep. 2020 The pro-Russian church argued that the law allows the Montenegrin state to confiscate its property as a prelude to setting up a separate Montenegrin church. — Predrag Milic, Star Tribune, "Head of church in Montenegro dies after COVID-19 infection," 30 Oct. 2020

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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“Confiscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confiscate. Accessed 4 Mar. 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

See the full definition for confiscate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

confiscate

verb

con·fis·cate | \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt

confiscated; confiscating

Kids Definition of confiscate

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

confiscate

transitive verb

con·fis·cate | \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt

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

\ noun

confiscator \ ˈkän-fə-ˌskā-tər

\ noun

confiscatory \ kən-ˈfis-kə-ˌtōr-ē

\ adjective

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