seizure

American  

[see-zher] / ˈsi ʒər /

noun

• seizures
  plural

1. the act or an instance of seizing.

2. the state of being seized.

3. a taking possession of an item, property, or person legally or by force.

4. a sudden attack, as of epilepsy or some other disease.

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seizure British  

/ ˈsiːʒə /

noun

1. the act or an instance of seizing or the state of being seized

2. pathol a sudden manifestation or recurrence of a disease, such as an epileptic convulsion

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seizure Scientific  

/ sē′zhər /

1. 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.

2. See also epilepsy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonseizure
  noun
• reseizure
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• seizures
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of seizure

First recorded in 1475–85; seize + -ure

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seizure seizures

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

The seizure was not connected to Mogambi's individual case.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

It called for more effective cooperation on countering money laundering and terrorist financing, and for officials to send more requests to identify and seek the seizure of criminal assets abroad.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Logan attempts to medicate him so that he and Caliban can rest, but Xavier fights him off, falls out of his wheelchair and has a telepathic seizure that begins to affect everyone around him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

He whirled back to Yossarian and, before he could speak, sneezed thunderously six times, staggering sideways on rubbery legs in the intervals and raising his elbows ineffectively to fend each seizure off.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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

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

"During the winter, my son suffers from epilepsy seizures because of the cold. It's very hard sometimes to keep him dry and warm," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The vast majority of my attacks are called absence seizures.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

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Related Words

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