seizure

noun

sei·​zure ˈsē-zhər 

1

a

: the act, action, or process of seizing : the state of being seized

b

: the taking possession of person or property by legal process

2

a

: a sudden attack (as of disease)

especially : the physical manifestations (such as convulsions, sensory disturbances, or loss of consciousness) resulting from abnormal electrical discharges in the brain (as in epilepsy)

b

: an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain

Synonyms

• access
• attack
• bout
• case
• fit
• siege
• spell
• turn

Examples of seizure in a Sentence

the seizure of power by the rebels

property that is protected from seizure

the seizure of evidence by the police

Not all searches and seizures by the police require a warrant.

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the indictment, the money Whiting used as a deposit for the vehicles did not yet belong to the government because a court had not yet approved its seizure. —Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 4 Oct. 2024

With this short-term fix in the rearview mirror, borrowers with late payments may soon see their credit scores drop and face other ramifications like wage garnishment and seizures of tax refunds. —Robert Farrington, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

Although it was initially designed to reduce the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy, it’s now been adapted for fat loss and other potential health benefits. —Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2024

Carter's administration, however, was crippled by number of problems, including an energy crisis that created shortages and long lines at gas stations, rising inflation, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the seizure of U.S. hostages in Iran. —George Petras, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing seizure

• anti-seizure
• grand mal seizure

Kids Definition

seizure

noun

sei·​zure ˈsē-zhər 

1

: the act of seizing : the state of being seized

2

: a sudden attack (as of disease)

especially : the physical signs (as extreme twitching of muscles) of an episode of abnormal brain activity (as in epilepsy)

Medical Definition

seizure

noun

sei·​zure ˈsē-zhər 

1

: a sudden attack (as of disease)

especially : the physical manifestations (as convulsions, sensory disturbances, or loss of consciousness) resulting from abnormal electrical discharges in the brain (as in epilepsy)

2

: an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain

Legal Definition

seizure

noun

sei·​zure ˈsē-zhər 

: the act, fact, or process of seizing: as

a

: the seizing of property that involves meaningful interference with a person's possessory interest in it

seizure of evidence found in plain view

see also plain view sense 2

b

: the seizing of a person (as for arrest or investigation) see also arrest, stop compare search

Note: The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right against unreasonable searches and seizures. It requires that a warrant may issue only upon probable cause, and that the warrant particularly describe the persons or things to be seized. Not all seizures, however, require a warrant. A seizure that constitutes an arrest requires probable cause to be reasonable, and a stop usually requires reasonable suspicion of the particular person or persons stopped, although stops like those at drunk driving checkpoints may be justified by a plan that places explicit and neutral limitations on the conduct of police officers with no requirement of individualized suspicion.