confiscate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
verb
adjective
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seized or confiscated; forfeit
-
having lost or been deprived of property through confiscation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of confiscate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin confiscātus “seized,” past participle of confiscāre “to seize for the public treasury,” equivalent to con- con- + fisc(us) “basket, moneybag, public treasury” ( see fiscal) + -āre, verb infinitive suffix
Explanation
To confiscate means to take away temporarily for security or legal reasons. It implies an act by an authority upon one of less power. If you use your cell phone in class, the teacher might confiscate it for the day. Confiscate derives from the Latin confiscat, meaning "to store in a chest, or give to the treasury." In school, if the boys begin throwing pencils at each other, the teacher will confiscate them and "store” them in her desk. She’ll return them, however, when the boys need to take the test. That’s assuming they have not blinded each other beforehand.
Vocabulary lists containing confiscate
Persepolis
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"Fighting Hitler: A Holocaust Story," Vocabulary from the article
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Echo
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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.
The monitors also tried to confiscate four power banks and chargers.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026
At this point, the most responsible thing Attorney General Pam Bondi could do is confiscate the department’s television remotes and log everyone out of their social media accounts.
From Salon • Feb. 6, 2026
At Kettlethorpe High School in Wakefield, the approach taken by staff remains to ask children to keep phones in their bags and confiscate them if the rule is broken.
From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025
Belgium’s government fears Moscow could formally confiscate assets of Belgian companies that have been trapped in Russia since 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 2025
“Since we cannot confirm that this is merely food, we will confiscate this package.”
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
