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confiscate
[ verb kon-fuh-skeyt; adjective kuhn-fis-kit ]
/ verb ˈkɒn fəˌskeɪt; adjective kənˈfɪs kɪt /
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verb (used with object), con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing.
to seize as forfeited to the public domain; appropriate, by way of penalty, for public use.
to seize by or as if by authority; appropriate summarily: The border guards confiscated our movie cameras.
adjective
seized or appropriated, as for public use.
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Origin of confiscate
OTHER WORDS FROM confiscate
Words nearby confiscate
confirmation hearings, confirmatory, confirmed, confirmee, confiscable, confiscate, confiscatory, confit, Confiteor, confiture, conflagrant
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use confiscate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for confiscate
confiscate
/ (ˈkɒnfɪˌskeɪt) /
verb (tr)
to seize (property), esp for public use and esp by way of a penalty
adjective
seized or confiscated; forfeit
having lost or been deprived of property through confiscation
Derived forms of confiscate
confiscation, nounconfiscator, nounWord Origin for confiscate
C16: from Latin confiscāre to seize for the public treasury, from fiscus basket, treasury
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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