confiscate

/ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːnfɪskeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkän-fə-ˌskāt kən-ˈfi-skət/ (ame, mw)

confiscate — verb

  • confiscatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • confiscateshe / she / it
  • confiscatedpast simple
  • confiscating-ing form

1. if an authority confiscates money, goods, or personal items, it removes them by

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

if an authority confiscates money, goods, or personal items, it removes them by legal or rule-based order, usually as a penalty or to stop their use.

例句

Customs officers confiscated the dried meat at the airport checkpoint.

authority + confiscate + banned item

The teacher confiscated Hana's phone during the history exam.

school rule violation

同義詞
  • seize

    broader than confiscate and not always tied to a formal penalty

  • impound

    used especially for vehicles or property held by authorities

  • forfeit

    focuses on losing ownership as a legal result rather than the act of taking

反義詞
  • return

    to give property back after it has been taken

  • release

    to stop holding property under official control

文法句型

confiscate + noun phrase

be confiscated by + authority

用法筆記

The subject is usually an official body such as police, customs, school staff, or prison staff. The object is commonly something illegal, dangerous, or banned by rules, and passive forms are very common in news writing.

常見錯誤

❌The thief confiscated my bag on the train.
✅The thief stole my bag on the train.
💡confiscate implies official or rule-based authority, not ordinary theft.

confiscate — adjective