seizure

noun

sei·​zure ˈsē-zhər How to pronounce seizure (audio)
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

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 Researchers estimated the property seizures cost Black families $5 million in current dollars, mostly due to underpayment for the land. Brandi Kellam, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2024 Up to 1 in every 20 children will develop pneumonia, and 1 in 1,000 develop a dangerous swelling in the brain called encephalitis that can lead to seizures. Katia Hetter, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Symptoms of drinking too much water Similar to heat exhaustion, symptoms of hyponatremia can include nausea, headache, fatigue, muscle weakness or cramps and in extreme cases seizures or coma. Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 13 Mar. 2024 Mexico is the dominant source of the illicit fentanyl trafficked into the United States, according to the U.S. government, and while the Mexican armed forces reported a substantial increase in drug seizures last year, synthetic opioids continue to flood across the border. Natalie Kitroeff Meridith Kohut, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Her twin brother, Victor, was in the truck’s cab suffering seizures from chemical burns. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 For people who are high-risk but not pregnant, invasive listeriosis is fatal in almost 1 in 20 cases and can cause severe symptoms like fever, stiff neck, loss of balance, and seizures. Brian Mastroianni, Health, 29 Feb. 2024 Communications intercepted from six of these phones led to the seizure of an additional 40 pounds of methamphetamine, over 14 pounds of fentanyl, 9.5 pounds of heroin, and 8.5 pounds of cocaine. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Leon Ruffin had been transferred from the corrections center to a local hospital around 12 p.m. after having suffered a possible seizure. Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seizure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of seizure was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near seizure

Cite this Entry

“Seizure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seizure. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

seizure

noun
sei·​zure ˈsē-zhər How to pronounce seizure (audio)
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 How to pronounce seizure (audio)
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 How to pronounce seizure (audio)
: 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on seizure

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