confiscate

verb
UK: /ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/
US: /ˈkɑːnfɪskeɪt/

  1. To officially take something away from someone, usually as a punishment.

    1. The teacher will confiscate phones during class.
    2. If you bring drugs to school, the police will confiscate them immediately.

  2. To seize private property for public use, often without compensation but sometimes with.

    1. The government decided to confiscate the land for a new highway.
    2. During the war, the army can confiscate resources from the local population if necessary.

Synonyms

impound commandeer appropriate expropriate seize

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "confiscate" in English means: To officially take something away from someone, usually as a punishment., To seize private property for public use, often without compensation but sometimes with..

The phonetic transcription of "confiscate" is /ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/ in British English and /ˈkɑːnfɪskeɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "confiscate": impound, commandeer, appropriate, expropriate, seize.

Example usage of "confiscate": "The teacher will confiscate phones during class.". More examples on the page.