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
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
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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.
See Examples For:
The seriousness of the investigation has been highlighted by subpoenas served on the insurers and the reported seizure of Walter’s cellphone and laptop by federal authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Tunick's attorneys are arguing that his constitutional rights were violated, including his Fourth Amendment protection from warrantless search and seizure.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The sequel tells you what that omission was worth: It was 2021, nearly a decade after the seizure, before Indiana finally gave up on keeping Timbs’ car.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
And black boxing can never protect against sovereign Saudi seizure of what’s in the box.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
"Not my first seizure, Jason D. Not the first time I've been like this."
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Billy Caldwell, from Castlederg in County Tyrone, has a severe form of epilepsy, which at one point had him suffering hundreds of "life-threatening" seizures a day.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
He says customs officials have carried out seizures of protected wildlife and supported prosecutions linked to illegal trafficking.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
His mother, however, told a local immigrant rights group that she believed he hadn’t received his medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and seizures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The justices have been writing essays about the problem for a decade while the seizures continue.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
In our time, we control most epileptic symptoms with powerful drugs called "anticonvulsants," because uncontrolled seizures can cause their own brain damage.
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.
