transitive verb

• 1Take or seize (someone's property) with authority.

  ‘the guards confiscated his camera’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Authorities also began confiscating firearms from civilians.’
  • ‘It was the first time the authorities had confiscated vessels in their battle to clamp down on illegal fishing.’
  • ‘If you violate the country's camera use rules, they may confiscate your equipment and we have absolutely no recourse.’
  • ‘This is considered such a serious crime that, if caught, the law has the authority to confiscate the vehicle.’
  • ‘This law is seldom enforced, but the next morning the authorities agreed to confiscate our little chimpanzee.’
  • ‘Police raided the headquarters of a group co-ordinating the protests, arresting dozens of activists and confiscating equipment.’
  • ‘Anyone found guilty in court of operating a pirate radio station could find all their equipment and records being confiscated.’
  • ‘It was later confiscated by suspicious guards and, phlegmatically, he simply started all over again.’
  • ‘There will be new powers to fine noisy neighbours £100 and confiscate stereo equipment.’
  • ‘To increase pressure on the strikers guards began confiscating the inmates' snack foods, and the prison sent a medical officer around to check daily on every hunger striker.’
  • ‘They had licenced security guards at the gates confiscating any alcohol or drugs found upon entry (yes, they searched every car on the way in).’
  • ‘But they found all this electrical equipment and they confiscated the lot of it.’
  • ‘More computer equipment was confiscated from me, and again was not returned until six months later.’
  • ‘Police would be called if a need to confiscate equipment arose.’
  • ‘I took a photo, to show you the unbelievable filth, but they confiscated my camera.’
  • ‘The order, once implemented, would give officers powers to stop someone drinking in a public place and to confiscate any alcohol.’
  • ‘They will have no powers of arrest, but will be able to issue fixed penalties and confiscate alcohol.’
  • ‘All I know is that a gun was confiscated and that the appropriate steps have been taken.’
  • ‘Where appropriate they also confiscate alcohol from under age drinkers.’
  • ‘He showed them some cannabis claiming he had confiscated it from others.’

  Synonyms

  impound, seize, commandeer, requisition, appropriate, expropriate, take possession of, sequester, sequestrate, take away, take over, take, annex

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1Take (a possession, especially land) as a penalty and give it to the public treasury.
     ‘this land was confiscated after the Second World War’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Many lands were confiscated and many Royalists were rewarded for their loyalty to the crown.’
     • ‘As part of the deal, the city would even confiscate land from private owners so that the Rangers owners could engage in real estate speculation.’
     • ‘Three million acres of Maori land were confiscated, some restored, but the sale and loss of Maori territory continued.’
     • ‘Schools were closed, land was confiscated and obstacles to new efforts were set in place.’
     • ‘Of course, the people of Parihaka at the time did not raise an arm, yet still the land was confiscated.’
     • ‘Did he have the right to confiscate Electoral land?’
     • ‘There was of course a danger that the serfowners might confiscate land from the peasants, forcing all their holdings down to the minimum.’
     • ‘He says only that he does not intend to expand the building lines or confiscate new land for settlements.’
     • ‘He accused these ‘tyrants’ of having robbed the Irish people for centuries by confiscating their lands, destroying their homesteads, and sentencing millions to emigration or death by starvation.’
     • ‘All unused land would be confiscated by the State, and the banks should be immediately nationalised.’
     • ‘Such property should be confiscated and used for public purposes or auctioned publicly.’
     • ‘At one time all land was Maori land, save for the land that was confiscated, and we are having a debate about that.’
     • ‘Their houses continued to be destroyed by bulldozers and their land confiscated.’
     • ‘Lands confiscated from the Church and the émigrés and then sold on would not be returned to their original owners.’
     • ‘There could be no question of returning any of the church lands confiscated in 1790 and since sold off.’
     • ‘Approved were 15 changes to the Constitution, most notably a new clause that the nation would ‘respect and ensure human rights’ and lines that say the government must compensate people for property it confiscates in the public interest.’
     • ‘It is, rather, an effort at confiscating even more of the land value for the State, directly or indirectly.’
     • ‘Thus, we don't jail people without trial or confiscate their property without a hearing.’
     • ‘They could destroy or confiscate property, without compensation.’
     • ‘Protesters called upon the government to confiscate its property.’