ENGLISH
REFERENCE

confiscated

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɑnfəˌskeɪtəd// UK //kˈɒnfɪskˌeɪtɪd// con·fis·cat·ed

v. to take something away from someone, usually because they broke a rule. A teacher or a police officer might do this to keep things safe or fair.

v. to seize private property by authority, typically as a penalty for a violation of regulations. The past tense or past participle form of 'confiscate'.


SIMPLE

The teacher confiscated his phone during the exam.

CONTEXTUAL

Customs officers confiscated the illegal goods at the border to prevent them from entering the local market.

COMPLEX

The local council confiscated the abandoned vehicles after the owners failed to respond to multiple warnings regarding public safety and obstruction of the highway.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object representing the item being taken.

Pitfall

The police confiscated to him his car.The police confiscated his car.Confiscate is transitive and takes the item as the direct object; it does not use 'to' for the person it was taken from.

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