26984 words

confiscate

3 definitions • 4 examples
1
to take a possession away from someone when you have the right to do so, usually as a punishment and often for a limited period, after which it is returned to the owner:

Examples:

Miss Edwards confiscated my phone!
His passport was confiscated by the police to prevent him from leaving the country.
2
to officially take private property away from someone, usually by legal authority:

Examples:

3
to officially take something away from someone, sometimes for a limited period, because they have done something illegal:

Examples:

The organization has notified U.S. Customs to confiscate all imported fire extinguishers with the counterfeit labels.

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