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confiscare

to confiscate

verb kon-fees-KAH-reh Rare
People & Society Law

Origin: Latin confiscare (to transfer to the treasury), from fiscus (basket, treasury)

Also means

to seize

Usage Note

Confiscare means to seize property by official authority, typically as a penalty or preventive measure. In Italian criminal law, confisca (the noun) is a security measure (misura di sicurezza) distinct from sequestro (seizure for investigation). The word entered Italian from Latin fiscus, which originally meant a wicker basket used to collect taxes.

Examples

"La polizia ha confiscato i beni del trafficante."

Natural Translation

The police confiscated the trafficker's assets.

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