noun
-
the act or an instance of seizing or the state of being seized
-
pathol a sudden manifestation or recurrence of a disease, such as an epileptic convulsion
-
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.
-
See also epilepsy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Out of My Mind
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The officials who had lodged the protest had been on a business trip at the time of the seizure to push for the safeguard of Japanese companies' assets, he added.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Grauslund said he could not comment on the seizure of the vaccines.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The seizure was not connected to Mogambi's individual case.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Iran has sentenced award-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi to five years and one month in prison and ordered the seizure of of all of his assets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
"I wouldn't know what to do if I saw someone having a seizure," I admit.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
There may also be risks of seizures and side effects from treatments.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
At Georgia Tech, he studied how AI could solve healthcare problems and he won national awards, including a 2023 honor for a novel framework that detects seizures in epileptic patients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
"Last year, we had over 1,300 seizures nationwide involving more than 56,600 protected animals and plants or products made from them," the Customs spokesman said.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
People with the disorder may develop seizures, lose previously acquired developmental abilities, experience increasing difficulty walking or moving, and struggle with speaking or swallowing.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
The vast majority of my attacks are called absence seizures.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
