Meanings
nounseizure (countable and uncountable, plural seizures)
plural seizures · alternative obsolete seisure
- senses related to possession
- countableuncountableThe act of taking possession, as by force or right of law.
the seizure of a thief, a property, a throne, etc.
3 more examples
The search warrant permitted the seizure of evidence.
As yet there had been no alarm of fever. The three seizures had excited some comment, however, and had it not been for the counter-excitement of the burning ship, it is possible that Pine's precaution would have been thrown away
1874, Marcus Clarke, chapter VII, in For the Term of His Natural LifeHe alone thought seriously of the seizure of power, and, what is more, he thought of nothing else. His position was clear: power must be seized wherever it was politically possible to do so.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 494Synonyms: taking · Antonyms: abandonment, release
- countableuncountableThe state of being seized or of having been taken.
The continued seizure of the car is a violation of my rights.
Antonyms: abandonment
- countableuncountableThat which is seized, or taken possession of; a thing laid hold of, or possessed.
The seizure includes various belongings taken from his house and his office.
- countableobsoleteuncountableA retention within one's grasp or power; possession; ownership.
Make o'er thy honour by a deed of trust, / And give me seizure of the mighty wealth.
1690, [John] Dryden, Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: […], London: […] Jo. Hindmarsh, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number)
- senses related to sensation
- countableuncountableA sudden onset of pain or emotion.
He felt the seizure of pain when the heart attack began.
- countableuncountablemedicineA sudden attack or convulsion; the physical manifestation of the abnormal electrical discharges in the brain characteristic of epilepsy.
epileptic seizure
2 more examples
I haven't had a seizure since I started that medication.
Seizures can be caused by exposure to certain poisons or toxins.
verbseizure (third-person singular simple present seizures, present participle seizuring, simple past and past participle seizured)
present singular third person seizures · participle present seizuring · participle past seizured · past seizured · alternative obsolete seisure
- informalintransitiveTo experience an epileptic seizure.
My doctor prescribed Namility. It made my vision blurry, I told him. He said keep taking it, it'll stop. Next day at work I seizured in the middle of an order.
2019, Justin Blackburn, The Bisexual Christian Suburban Failure Enlightening Bipolar Blues, page 9Synonyms: seize
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe act of taking possession, as by force or right of law.
Similar
Opposite
nounThe state of being seized or of having been taken.
Opposite
verbTo experience an epileptic seizure.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property
Similar
capturegaining control
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Ancient Greek ἁρπαγή
- ἁρπαγή (harpagḗ)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
Bulgarian конфискация, припадък
- конфискация (konfiskacija)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- припадък (pripadăk)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Catalan apropiació, atac
- apropiacióact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- atacsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Chinese Mandarin 奪取 /夺取, 佔用 /占用
- 奪取 /夺取 (duóqǔ)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- 佔用 /占用 (zhànyòng)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- 沒收 /没收 (mòshōu)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- 發作 /发作 (fāzuò)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Czech záchvat
- záchvatsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Danish beslaglæggelse, anfald
- beslaglæggelseact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- anfaldsudden onset of pain or emotion
- anfaldsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Finnish pidätys, kohtaus
- pidätysact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- kohtaussudden onset of pain or emotion
- kohtaussudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
French saisie, attaque
- saisieact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- attaquesudden onset of pain or emotion
- attaquesudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- crisesudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
German Beschlagnahme, Anfall
- Beschlagnahmeact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- Anfallsudden onset of pain or emotion
- Anfallsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Hebrew הֶתְקֵף
- הֶתְקֵף (hetqéf)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Hindi अधिग्रहण, दौरा
- अधिग्रहण (adhigrahaṇ)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- दौरा (daurā)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Hungarian lefoglalás, elkobzás
- lefoglalásact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- elkobzásact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- zár alá vételact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- birtokba vételact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- zárolásact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- megragadásact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- megmarkolásact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- elvételact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- elfoglalásact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- bevételact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- elkobzott holmi/áru/tárgy/dologthat which is seized, or taken possession of; a thing laid hold of, or possessed
- rohamsudden onset of pain or emotion
Icelandic krampaflog, flog
- krampaflogsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- flogsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Indonesian penyitaan, kejang-kejang
- penyitaanact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- kejang-kejangsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- kejangsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Irish glacadh, urghabháil
- glacadhact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- urghabháilact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- gabháilact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- forghabháilact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- taomsudden onset of pain or emotion
- gabhlánsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- taomsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Italian convulsioni
- convulsionisudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Japanese 奪取, 発作
- 奪取 (dasshu)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- 発作 (hossa)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- 発病 (hatsubyō)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- 急病 (kyūbyō)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Lithuanian priepuolis
- priepuolissudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Māori hukihuki, hūkeke
- hukihukisudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- hūkekesudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Norwegian inndragning, krampe
- inndragningact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- krampesudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Norwegian Bokmål smerteanfall, anfall
- smerteanfallsudden onset of pain or emotion
- anfallsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Persian مصادره, تشنج
- مصادره (mosâdere)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- تشنج (tašanoj)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Polish napad
- napadsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Portuguese apreensão, apropriação
- apreensãoact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- apropriaçãoact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- ataquesudden onset of pain or emotion
- convulsãosudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Romanian confiscare
- confiscareact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
Russian захва́т, взя́тие си́лой
- захва́т (zaxvát)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- взя́тие си́лой (vzjátije síloj)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- взя́тие (vzjátije)act of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- при́ступ (prístup)sudden onset of pain or emotion
- припа́док (pripádok)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- при́ступ (prístup)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Scottish Gaelic glacadh
- glacadhact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
Spanish incautación, decomiso
- incautaciónact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- decomisoact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- comisoact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- peindraact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- unas convulsiones (epilépticas)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- unos espasmos (epilépticos)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- ataque convulsivo/convulso/epilépticosudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- chiripiorcasudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- chiripiolcasudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Swahili kifafa
- kifafasudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Swedish anfall
- anfallsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Tagalog pagsamsam
- pagsamsamact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
Turkish ele geçirme, gasp
- ele geçirmeact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- gaspact of taking possession, as by force or right of law
- krizsudden onset of pain or emotion
- krizsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- nöbetsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Urdu دورہ
- دورہ (daurā)sudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Vietnamese cơn động kinh, giật kinh phong
- cơn động kinhsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
- giật kinh phongsudden attack or convulsion — see also seize, convulsion
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with seizure
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
seizure. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seizure
MLA
“seizure.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seizure. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “seizure,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/seizure.
Source: seizure on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.