Third person singular present tense: to seize property or possessions, usually by government authority, often as punishment or penalty.
From Latin confiscāre 'to seize for the state treasury,' composed of con- (together) and fiscus (the imperial treasury or state funds).
The word confiscate is rooted in ancient Roman taxation—when the emperor 'confiscated' property, he was literally moving it into the fiscus, which is why our word 'fiscal' (relating to money and taxes) comes from the same root.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.