adj · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/
US:/ˈkɑnfəˌskeɪt/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AA1 N F AH0 S K EY2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Confiscated; seized and appropriated by the government for public use; forfeit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To use one's authority to lay claim to and separate a possession from its holder.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
In schools, it is common for teachers to confiscate electronic games and other distractions.
1768, Alexander Dow (translator), The History of Hindostan by Muḥammad Qāsim Hindū Shāh Astarābādī, London: T. Becket & P.A. de Hondt, Volume 2, Section 4, p. 63, The Persian having evacuated the imperial provinces, the vizier became more cruel and oppressive than ever: he extorted money from the poor by tortures, and confiscated the estates of the nobility, upon false or very frivolous pretences.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
surrendered as a penalty
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: forfeit, forfeited
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority
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).
Across languages
Translations
79 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
صَادَرَ
(ṣādara)
— take possession of by authority
Armenian:
բռնագրավել
(bṙnagravel)
— take possession of by authority
Armenian:
առգրավել
(aṙgravel)
— take possession of by authority
Azerbaijani:
müsadirə etmək
— take possession of by authority
Belarusian:
канфіскава́ць
(kanfiskavácʹ)
— take possession of by authority
Belarusian:
забіра́ць
(zabirácʹ)
— take possession of by authority
Belarusian:
забра́ць
(zabrácʹ)
— take possession of by authority
Bulgarian:
конфискувам
(konfiskuvam)
— take possession of by authority
Burmese:
သိမ်းပိုက်
(sim:puik)
— take possession of by authority
Catalan:
confiscar
— take possession of by authority
Catalan:
comissar
— take possession of by authority
Chinese Mandarin:
沒收 /没收
(mòshōu)
— take possession of by authority
Chinese Mandarin:
充公
(chōnggōng)
— take possession of by authority
Czech:
zabavit
— take possession of by authority
Danish:
konfiskere
— take possession of by authority
Dutch:
confisqueren
— take possession of by authority
Esperanto:
konfiski
— take possession of by authority
Faroese:
leggja hald á
— take possession of by authority
Faroese:
draga inn
— take possession of by authority
Faroese:
taka frá
— take possession of by authority
Finnish:
takavarikoida
— take possession of by authority
French:
confisquer
— take possession of by authority
Galician:
confiscar
— take possession of by authority
Georgian:
კონფისკაცია
(ḳonpisḳacia)
— take possession of by authority
German:
beschlagnahmen
— take possession of by authority
German:
konfiszieren
— take possession of by authority
Greek:
κατάσχω
(katáscho)
— take possession of by authority
Ancient Greek:
δημεύω
(dēmeúō)
— take possession of by authority
Hebrew:
החרים
(hekhrím)
— take possession of by authority
Hindi:
ज़ब्त करना
(zabt karnā)
— take possession of by authority
Hungarian:
elkoboz
— take possession of by authority
Hungarian:
lefoglal
— take possession of by authority
Hungarian:
kisajátít
— take possession of by authority
Icelandic:
gera upptækan
— take possession of by authority
Ido:
konfiskar
— take possession of by authority
Indonesian:
menyita
— take possession of by authority
Irish:
gabh seilbh ar
— take possession of by authority
Irish:
coigistigh
— take possession of by authority
Italian:
confiscare
— take possession of by authority
Japanese:
没収する
(bosshū suru)
— take possession of by authority
Khmer:
ដកហូតយក
(dɑɑk hoot yɔɔk)
— take possession of by authority
Korean:
몰수하다
(molsuhada)
— take possession of by authority
Northern Kurdish:
dest danîn ser
— take possession of by authority
Latin:
auferō
— take possession of by authority
Latin:
cōnfiscō
— take possession of by authority
Latin:
pūblicō
— take possession of by authority
Luxembourgish:
beschlagnahmen
— take possession of by authority
Norman:
confistchi
— take possession of by authority
Norwegian Bokmål:
inndra
— take possession of by authority
Norwegian Bokmål:
konfiskere
— take possession of by authority
Persian:
ضبط کردن
(zabt kardan)
— take possession of by authority
Polish:
konfiskować
— take possession of by authority
Portuguese:
confiscar
— take possession of by authority
Romanian:
confisca
— take possession of by authority
Russian:
конфискова́ть
(konfiskovátʹ)
— take possession of by authority
Russian:
изыма́ть
(izymátʹ)
— take possession of by authority
Russian:
изъя́ть
(izʺjátʹ)
— take possession of by authority
Slovak:
zhabať
— take possession of by authority
Slovene:
zasegati
— take possession of by authority
Slovene:
zaseči
— take possession of by authority
Spanish:
decomisar
— take possession of by authority
Spanish:
confiscar
— take possession of by authority
Spanish:
incautar
— take possession of by authority
Swedish:
konfiskera
— take possession of by authority
Tamil:
பிடுங்கு
(piṭuṅku)
— take possession of by authority
Tamil:
பறிமுதல் செய்
(paṟimutal cey)
— take possession of by authority
Tamil:
பறிமுதல் பண்ணு
(paṟimutal paṇṇu)
— take possession of by authority
Telugu:
జప్తు చేయు
(japtu cēyu)
— take possession of by authority
Thai:
ยึด
(yʉ́t)
— take possession of by authority
Thai:
ริบ
(ríp)
— take possession of by authority
Turkish:
el koymak
— take possession of by authority
Ukrainian:
конфіскува́ти
(konfiskuváty)
— take possession of by authority
Ukrainian:
вилуча́ти
(vylučáty)
— take possession of by authority
Ukrainian:
ви́лучити
(výlučyty)
— take possession of by authority
Ukrainian:
відбира́ти
(vidbyráty)
— take possession of by authority
Ukrainian:
відібра́ти
(vidibráty)
— take possession of by authority
Urdu:
قبضے میں لینا
— take possession of by authority
Vietnamese:
tịch thâu
— take possession of by authority
Vietnamese:
tịch thu
— take possession of by authority