confiscation

American  

[kon-fuh-skey-shuhn] / ˌkɒn fəˈskeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act, as a penalty, of seizing or appropriating something for public use or for ownership by the state.

   The government introduced a bill allowing the confiscation of property belonging to foreign states.

2. the act of seizing something by or as if by authority.

   In order to avoid confiscation of their cell phones under the strict new rule, many teens only became more secretive about using them.

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Other Word Forms

• nonconfiscation noun
• proconfiscation noun

Etymology

Origin of confiscation

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin cōnfiscātiōn-, stem of cōnfiscātiō “seizure,” from cōnfiscāt(us) “seized” (past participle of cōnfiscāre “to seize for the public treasury”; confiscate ( def. ) ) + -iō -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

And the more attention brought to the box via media interviews means more scrutiny may be placed on it, risking its confiscation by city authorities.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

She was however ordered to pay back 12.85 million won in cash and the court also ordered the confiscation of the diamond necklace.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

“It is in reality an uncompensated confiscation of property,” he wrote.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 10, 2026

It favors planters with significant Malaysian upstream operations, as they benefit from strong sensitivity to crude palm oil prices, while facing limited risk of land confiscation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

I really should get back and tell her; she is the one who will be affected the most by Frightful’s confiscation.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• appropriation
• expropriation