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”; see confiscate ( def. )) + -iō -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

confiscation

This holds out a troubling prospect: Either AI progress will stop as investors abandon it, or progress will be funded by government, the only user allowed access to cutting-edge models—essentially confiscation by other means.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

At the time, Fiscal Depute Brian Duffy said that the figure was "the only amount available to Miss McGarry towards the confiscation order".

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

"Those who use property tainted by a past confiscation," Thomas said, are "liable to any United States national who owns a claim to that property."

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

However - referring to the confiscation orders totalling £2.9m - the CPS added that it was "only able to obtain assets which are available at the time".

From BBC ● May 18, 2026

It was understandable; he risked the confiscation of his property by sheltering us.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• appropriation
• expropriation