confiscate

1 of 3

adjective

con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt How to pronounce confiscate (audio) kən-ˈfi-skət How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
Synonyms of confiscate
1
: appropriated by the government : forfeited
2
: deprived of property by confiscation

confiscate

2 of 3

verb

con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
confiscated; confiscating

transitive verb

1
: to seize as forfeited to the public treasury
2
: to seize by or as if by authority
confiscation
ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
noun
confiscator
ˈkän-fə-ˌskā-tər How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
noun
confiscatory
kən-ˈfi-skə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
adjective

confiscation

3 of 3

noun

con·​fis·​ca·​tion ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən How to pronounce confiscation (audio)
plural -s
: the act of confiscating or state of being confiscated : the taking of private property to the public use as being forfeited

Synonyms of confiscate

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of confiscate in a Sentence

Verb Guards confiscated knives and other weapons from the prisoners. The teacher confiscated all cell phones for the duration of the field trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Drone pilots who violate the restrictions could face prison time, up to $100,000 in fines, and have their drone confiscated. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 22 June 2026 The agent confiscated the letter, carried by Cuban businessman Roberto Carlos Chamizo, and sent him back to Havana. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026 In some videos, survivors accused soldiers of looting apartments and confiscating donated supplies—claims that remain difficult to independently verify but have fueled widespread outrage. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026 Amid anecdotal reports that airport security services have been confiscating bottles of ranch dressing that sports tourists have tried to smuggle out of the country, Kraft Heinz came up with a TSA-friendly size of ranch dressing. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for confiscate

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin confiscatus, past participle of confiscare to confiscate, from com- + fiscus treasury

Noun

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin confiscation-, confiscatio, from confiscatus + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confiscate was circa 1533

Rhymes for confiscate

See All Rhymes for confiscate

Browse Nearby Words

confiscatable
confiscate
confiscation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confiscate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confiscate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

confiscate

verb
con·​fis·​cate
ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt
confiscated; confiscating
: to seize by or as if by public authority
smuggled goods may be confiscated by the police
confiscation
ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən
noun
confiscator
ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt-ər
noun
confiscatory
kən-ˈfis-kə-ˌtōr-ē, 
-ˌtȯr-
adjective

Legal Definition

confiscate

transitive verb
con·​fis·​cate ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
confiscated; confiscating
: to seize without compensation as forfeited to the public treasury compare criminal forfeiture

Note: Illegal items such as narcotics or firearms, or profits from the sale of illegal items, may be confiscated by law enforcement officers. Additionally, government action that reduces the value of property to a person or entity as to make it nearly worthless has been held to constitute confiscation. Examples of such government action include the passage of zoning laws that prevent the use of land for its designated purpose and the setting of utility rates so low that the utility company cannot realize a reasonable return on its investment.

confiscation
ˌkän-fə-ˈskā-shən How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
noun
confiscator
ˈkän-fə-ˌskā-tər How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
noun
confiscatory
kən-ˈfis-kə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce confiscate (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on confiscate

Nglish: Translation of confiscate for Spanish Speakers

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