To take something away from someone, usually by authority, as a punishment or to enforce a rule.
From Latin *confiscare*, meaning "to consign to the public treasury" (literally "to put into the basket/chest"). The Latin root *fiscus* referred to the emperor’s money basket, which is also where the word "fiscal" comes from.
When something is confiscated, it’s not just taken—it’s taken into official hands, like it now belongs to the state or the school. That’s why it feels different from just losing or borrowing: it’s like your item has changed sides in a war.
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