confiscation
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
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. )
Vocabulary lists containing confiscation
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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.
Documents also state Maidstone Crown Court ordered the confiscation of £100,000 from the then-58-year-old.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
The track also said the confiscation was done without a warrant or warning.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 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
It was understandable; he risked the confiscation of his property by sheltering us.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
