Standard Lemma guide

seizure

noun · verb · 12 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsiː.ʒə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈsi.ʒɚ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈsiː.ʒə(ɹ)/
  • Australian: [ˈsɪi.ʒə(ɹ)]
  • /ˈsizjʊɚ/
  • rhymes with -iːʒə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: S IY1 ZH ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

senses related to possession

The act of taking possession, as by force or right of law.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • the seizure of a thief, a property, a throne, etc.
  • The search warrant permitted the seizure of evidence.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: taking

Antonyms: abandonment, release

2

noun

Meaning 2

senses related to possession

The state of being seized or of having been taken.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The continued seizure of the car is a violation of my rights.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: abandonment

3

noun

Meaning 3

senses related to possession

That which is seized, or taken possession of; a thing laid hold of, or possessed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The seizure includes various belongings taken from his house and his office.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

senses related to possession

A retention within one's grasp or power; possession; ownership.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

senses related to sensation

A sudden onset of pain or emotion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • He felt the seizure of pain when the heart attack began.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

senses related to sensation

A sudden attack or convulsion; the physical manifestation of the abnormal electrical discharges in the brain characteristic of epilepsy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, pathology, sciences

Examples

  • epileptic seizure
  • I haven't had a seizure since I started that medication.
  • Seizures can be caused by exposure to certain poisons or toxins.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

senses related to sensation

An abnormal electrical discharge in the brain, as is typical of epilepsy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, neurology, neuroscience, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To experience an epileptic seizure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

the taking possession of something by legal process

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: appropriation

Narrower terms: confiscation, arrogation, distress, distraint, impoundment, impounding, internment, poundage, impress, impressment, recapture

10

noun

Meaning 10

the act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: capture, gaining control

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: acquiring, getting

Narrower terms: usurpation, apprehension, arrest, catch, collar, pinch, taking into custody, conquest, conquering, subjection, subjugation, enslavement

11

noun

Meaning 11

the act of taking of a person by force

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: capture

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: felony

Narrower terms: abduction, kidnapping, snatch

12

noun

Meaning 12

a sudden occurrence (or recurrence) of a disease

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he suffered an epileptic seizure

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ictus, raptus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: attack

Narrower terms: convulsion, focal seizure, raptus hemorrhagicus, absence, absence seizure

History

Etymology

From seize + -ure.

Across languages

Translations

128 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: բռնագրավում (bṙnagravum) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Armenian: բռնազավթում (bṙnazavtʻum) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Azerbaijani: zəbt — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Azerbaijani: müsadirə — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Bulgarian: конфискация (konfiskacija) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Catalan: apropiació — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Chinese Mandarin: 奪取 /夺取 (duóqǔ) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Chinese Mandarin: 佔用 /占用 (zhànyòng) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沒收 /没收 (mòshōu) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Danish: beslaglæggelse — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Finnish: pidätys — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • French: saisie — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Georgian: კონფისკაცია (ḳonpisḳacia) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Georgian: ჩამორთმევა (čamortmeva) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Georgian: დაყადაღება (daq̇adaɣeba) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Georgian: მიტაცება (miṭaceba) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Georgian: ხელში ჩაგდება (xelši čagdeba) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Georgian: ამოღება (amoɣeba) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • German: Beschlagnahme — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Ancient Greek: ἁρπαγή (harpagḗ) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hindi: अधिग्रहण (adhigrahaṇ) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: lefoglalás — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: elkobzás — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: zár alá vétel — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: birtokba vétel — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: zárolás — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: megragadás — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: megmarkolás — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: elvétel — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: elfoglalás — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Hungarian: bevétel — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Indonesian: penyitaan — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Irish: glacadh — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Irish: urghabháil — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Irish: gabháil — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Irish: forghabháil — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Japanese: 奪取 (dasshu) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Norwegian: inndragning — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Persian: مصادره (mosâdere) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Portuguese: apreensão — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Portuguese: apropriação — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Romanian: confiscare — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Russian: захва́т (zaxvát) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Russian: взя́тие си́лой (vzjátije síloj) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Russian: взя́тие (vzjátije) — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Scottish Gaelic: glacadh — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Spanish: incautación — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Spanish: decomiso — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Spanish: comiso — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Spanish: peindra — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Tagalog: pagsamsam — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Turkish: ele geçirme — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Turkish: gasp — act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
  • Azerbaijani: tutma — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Azerbaijani: qıcolma — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Bulgarian: припадък (pripadǎk) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Catalan: atac — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Chinese Mandarin: 發作 /发作 (fāzuò) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Czech: záchvat — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Danish: anfald — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Finnish: kohtaus — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • French: attaque — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • French: crise — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Georgian: მწვავე შეტევა (mc̣vave šeṭeva) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Georgian: უეცარი შეტევა (uecari šeṭeva) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Georgian: შეტევა (šeṭeva) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • German: Anfall — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Hebrew: הֶתְקֵף (hetqéf) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Hindi: दौरा (daurā) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Hungarian: roham — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Icelandic: krampaflog — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Icelandic: flog — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Indonesian: kejang-kejang — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Indonesian: kejang — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Irish: gabhlán — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Irish: taom — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Italian: convulsioni — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Japanese: 発作 (hossa) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Japanese: 発病 (hatsubyō) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Japanese: 急病 (kyūbyō) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Khmer: ប្រឆ្ងិត (prɑcŋət) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Khmer: ស្កន្ទ (skɑn) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Khmer: អបមារ (a’pa’maa) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Khmer: អបមារ (ɑɑp mie) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Central Kurdish: خوو (xû) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Lithuanian: priepuolis — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Macedonian: конвулзија (konvulzija) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Māori: hukihuki — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Māori: hūkeke — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Navajo: iichʼąh — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Navajo: ashchʼąh — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Norwegian: krampe — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Norwegian Bokmål: anfall — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: anfall — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Persian: تشنج (tašanoj) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Plautdietsch: Aunfaul — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Polish: napad — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Portuguese: convulsão — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Russian: припа́док (pripádok) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Russian: при́ступ (prístup) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Serbo-Croatian: konvulzije — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Serbo-Croatian: konvulzivna ataka — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Serbo-Croatian: konvulzivni napad — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Spanish: unas convulsiones (epilépticas) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Spanish: unos espasmos (epilépticos) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Spanish: ataque convulsivo/convulso/epiléptico — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Spanish: chiripiorca — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Spanish: chiripiolca — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Swahili: kifafa — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Swedish: anfall — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Turkish: kriz — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Turkish: nöbet — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Urdu: دورہ (daurā) — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Vietnamese: cơn động kinh — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Vietnamese: giật kinh phong — sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
  • Danish: anfald — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Finnish: kohtaus — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • French: attaque — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • German: Anfall — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Hungarian: roham — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Irish: taom — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Norwegian Bokmål: smerteanfall — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: smerteåtak — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Plautdietsch: Aunfaul — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Portuguese: ataque — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Russian: при́ступ (prístup) — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Turkish: kriz — sudden onset of pain or emotion
  • Hungarian: elkobzott holmi/áru/tárgy/dolog — that which is seized, or taken possession of; a thing laid hold of, or possessed
Real reading context

seizure in complete knowledge articles