Showing results for "seized"

• past tense form of seize.
• past participle of seize.

seized

American  

[seezd] / sizd /

adjective

1. taken hold, possession, or control of, as by force or legal authority; confiscated, captured, or appropriated.

   Police say the seized property includes knives, computer equipment, a balaclava, and military clothing.

   Settlers were observed planting olive trees on illegally seized land.

2. (of an opportunity) taken advantage of promptly.

   Everything that Mom and I had accomplished was rooted firmly in the soil of hard work and seized opportunities.

3. (of moving parts) locked or jammed, as from excessive friction (often followed byup ).

   I gladly pay top dollar for lubricants and fluids, because I know it's far more expensive to have to rebuild a seized engine!

4. having ceased to function; having come to a halt (often followed byup ).

   Businesses need to access credit lines to function, but now the credit market is totally seized up.

5. fully understood; mentally grasped.

   People who need cognitive closure will absorb a statement early in the process of acquiring knowledge, "freeze" on that seized idea, and resist further information.

6. (of melted chocolate) grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture.

   To reverse the reaction, add more liquid, but just enough to dissolve most of the sugar and cocoa particles in the seized chocolate clumps.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of seize.

Other Word Forms

• unseized
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of seized

seize ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seized

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, home to about 12,000 sea creatures, is caring this summer for an additional 500 animals seized from wildlife traffickers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Federal agents seized her phone and passport and searched her residence as part of an investigation into allegations dating back to her childhood.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

Yemeni authorities seized tools, testing equipment and raw materials, including the ablative material which protects sections of the missile from the intense heat produced by a ballistic missile.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The Kuril Islands -- called the "Northern Territories" in Japan -- have been under Russia's control since the end of World War II, when they were seized by the Soviet Union.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

I seized Betsie’s arm as the command to march came again, more to steady myself than her.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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Related Words

• captured

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