confiscate

1 of 3

adjective

con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt  kən-ˈfi-skət 

1

: appropriated by the government : forfeited

2

: deprived of property by confiscation

confiscate

2 of 3

verb

con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt 

confiscated; confiscating

transitive verb

1

: to seize as forfeited to the public treasury

2

: to seize by or as if by authority

confiscation

ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən 

noun

confiscator

ˈkän-fə-ˌskā-tər 

noun

confiscatory

kən-ˈfi-skə-ˌtȯr-ē 

adjective

confiscation

3 of 3

noun

con·​fis·​ca·​tion ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən 

plural -s

: the act of confiscating or state of being confiscated : the taking of private property to the public use as being forfeited

Synonyms of confiscate

Verb

• seize
• attach

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

Last month, the Supreme Court delivered a similar defeat for Cuba, ruling that cruise lines Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and MSC can be held liable for using a port confiscated by the Cuban government. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 23 June 2026

Drone pilots who violate the restrictions could face prison time, up to $100,000 in fines, and have their drone confiscated. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 22 June 2026

Owen Caissie tried a few times to toss it back over the wall before it was eventually confiscated. — Tyler Carmona, Miami Herald, 22 June 2026

The prisoners were at one point given life jackets, but they were later confiscated after guards found them being used as pillows, the court document said. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Noun

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin confiscation-, confiscatio, from confiscatus + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for confiscate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

confiscate

verb

con·​fis·​cate

ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt

confiscated; confiscating

: to seize by or as if by public authority

smuggled goods may be confiscated by the police

confiscation

ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən

noun

confiscator

ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt-ər

noun

confiscatory

kən-ˈfis-kə-ˌtōr-ē, 

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

Legal Definition

confiscate

transitive verb

con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt 

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.

confiscation

ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən 

noun

confiscator

ˈkän-fə-ˌskā-tər 

noun

confiscatory

kən-ˈfis-kə-ˌtōr-ē 

adjective