confiscated

IPA/ˈkɒn.fɪ.skeɪt/
KK[kˈɑnfəskˌetəd]IPA/ˈkɑːn.fə.skeɪt/

confiscated — verb

  • confiscatedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • confiscateds3rd person singular
  • confiscateding-ing form
  • confiscatededpast simple

1. to officially take away someone's property or possessions because they have brok

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to officially take away someone's property or possessions because they have broken a law or rule, usually as a punishment; a customs officer might confiscate illegal goods at the border, or a teacher might confiscate a phone from a student using it during a test.

Example

Customs officers confiscated the fake designer handbags before they could enter the country.

confiscate + concrete objects at border

The referee confiscated the player's jersey after he argued with the call.

Common collocations
  • confiscate property
  • confiscate goods
  • confiscate weapons
  • confiscate documents
  • confiscate by customs
  • confiscated from someone
Synonyms
  • seize

    more general: can be by any authority or force; does not always involve a penalty or return

  • impound

    specifically for vehicles, animals, or documents held by authorities until legal conditions are met

  • confiscated
Antonyms
  • return

    to give back what was taken

  • restore

    to return something to its previous owner after confiscation

Grammar Patterns

confiscate + noun phrase

be confiscated (by someone)

Usage Note

Frequently used in passive constructions, especially in contexts of law, customs, or school discipline. The confiscated item may be returned after a specific period (e.g. a phone returned after class) or kept permanently (e.g. illegal goods).

Common Mistakes

The police confiscated him the car.
The police confiscated the car from him.
confiscate takes the item as direct object; the person is introduced with 'from'.
The teacher confiscated my phone for two days.
The teacher took my phone and kept it for two days.' Or 'The teacher confiscated my phone and held onto it for two days.
'confiscate' describes the act of taking, not the holding period.

confiscated — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Confiscate, seize, impound, and forfeit all involve taking something away, but differ in context and permanence. Confiscate (B2) is the most learner-relevant word: it means to take something away by official authority, often as a punishment and often with the intention of returning it after a period — a teacher confiscates a phone until the end of class, or customs confiscates illegal goods. Seize (B2) is broader: it can mean to take quickly or by force, not always by legal right ('Police seized the drugs during the raid'). Impound (C1) is specific to vehicles, animals, or official documents held until legal conditions are met ('The city impounded the abandoned car'). Forfeit (C1) means to lose or surrender something as a penalty, usually permanently ('He forfeited his deposit by breaking the lease'). In short: confiscation = temporary/penalty-based seizure by authority, seizure = any forceful taking, impoundment = holding until conditions are satisfied, forfeiture = permanent loss as a penalty.

confiscate ↗seize ↗impound ↗forfeit ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • confiscate something from someone
  • be confiscated by customs
  • confiscated as evidence
  • confiscated for safety reasons

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'confiscate' comes from Latin 'confiscare' — a combination of 'con-' (together, with) and 'fiscus' (a woven basket used for collecting money, later meaning 'treasury'). In ancient Rome, if your property was 'confiscated,' it was taken and put into the emperor's personal treasury. The sense has since broadened to cover any official taking of possessions as a penalty, not just for the state treasury.