noun
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the act or an instance of seizing or the state of being seized
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pathol a sudden manifestation or recurrence of a disease, such as an epileptic convulsion
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A sudden episode of transient neurologic symptoms such as involuntary muscle movements, sensory disturbances and altered consciousness. A seizure is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which is often diagnosed on an electroencephalogram.
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See also epilepsy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of seizure
Explanation
A seizure is the act of taking by legal process or force, such as the seizure of evidence found at the scene of a crime. A seizure is the act of seizing — a forceful action in which an object or person is suddenly taken over, grabbed, removed, or overwhelmed. It's not something you want to happen. Criminals may think the seizure of a wealthy person can bring them a fortune in ransom money. Another kind of seizure is the kind caused by a misfire of electrons in the brain, causing a loss of control of the body. It too is an unwanted taking over by force.
Vocabulary lists containing seizure
The Bill of Rights
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Out of My Mind
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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 courts ordered the preventive seizure of "several assets, relating to sales contracts", the statement said.
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
Al-Hashimi became a polyglot — speaking English, Farsi and Armenian — in part to curb the effects of a seizure disorder on her temporal lobe, which is crucial for language comprehension.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Sturgeon said that when she asked Murrell about the vehicle following its seizure, he had told her it was bought to be used by the party in the 2021 Holyrood election.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Travolta lost his teenage son, Jett, to complications from a seizure in 2009, and his wife, Kelly Preston, to breast cancer in 2020.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
After that first seizure at his sister's dinner table, he recovers almost immediately with no memory of the fit or any ill effect.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
