confiscate
verb (used with object)
to seize as forfeited to the public domain; appropriate, by way of penalty, for public use.
confiscated
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past participleof confiscate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof confiscate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
confiscateverb (used with object)to seize as forfeited to the public domain; appropriate, by way of penalty, for public use.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When officials recently confiscated 350 turtles there, they brought them to the conservancy to care for them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Long-term bonds became known, jocularly, as “certificates of confiscation”: Owning them entitled you to have some of your money confiscated by the government every year.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The adults, hearing our incessant laughter, came into the room, instantly became horrified and confiscated the game.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
"As surfers, we treat these boards like great treasures to us, because losing any board or having it confiscated threatens our ability to continue in this sport," he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
The British declared the entire North Sea a war zone, in which even neutral ships would be stopped and searched; all goods destined for German ports would be seized and confiscated.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
