confiscate

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confiscate

/ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/ UK
/ˈkɑnfəˌskeɪt/ US

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Latin cōnfiscātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin cōnfiscō (“to seize for the public treasury (fiscus)”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

verb confiscates · confiscating · confiscated · confuscate

transitive To use one's authority to lay claim to and separate a possession from its holder. In schools, it is common for teachers to confiscate electronic games and other distractions.
Similar: appropriate, arrogate, commandeer, expropriate, requisition, usurp, steal, rob

adjective confuscate

not comparable, obsolete Confiscated; seized and appropriated by the government for public use; forfeit. Therefore give out you are of Epidamnum, / Lest that your goods too soon be confiscate.

Translations

Every language

verb take possession of by authority

Español	decomisar, confiscar, incautar
한국어	몰수하다 molsuhada
日本語	没収する bosshū suru
中文	沒收 /没收 mòshōu, 充公 chōnggōng
हिन्दी	ज़ब्त करना zabt karnā
Português	confiscar
Français	confisquer
Deutsch	beschlagnahmen, konfiszieren
Italiano	confiscare
Ελληνικά	κατάσχω katáscho
Română	confisca
Русский	конфискова́ть konfiskovátʹ, изыма́ть izymátʹ, изъя́ть izʺjátʹ
Tiếng Việt	tịch thâu, tịch thu
العربية	صَادَرَ ṣādara
עברית	החרים hekhrím

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MLA

"confiscate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/confiscate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

confiscate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/confiscate

Chicago

"confiscate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/confiscate.

BibTeX

@misc{confiscate_2026,
  title = {confiscate},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/confiscate},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}