seized

[ seezd ]

adjective

1. taken hold, possession, or control of, as by force or legal authority; confiscated, captured, or appropriated:

   Police say the seized property includes knives, computer equipment, a balaclava, and military clothing.

   Settlers were observed planting olive trees on illegally seized land.

2. (of an opportunity) taken advantage of promptly:

   Everything that Mom and I had accomplished was rooted firmly in the soil of hard work and seized opportunities.

3. (of moving parts) locked or jammed, as from excessive friction (often followed by up ):

   I gladly pay top dollar for lubricants and fluids, because I know it's far more expensive to have to rebuild a seized engine!

4. having ceased to function; having come to a halt (often followed by up ):

   Businesses need to access credit lines to function, but now the credit market is totally seized up.

5. fully understood; mentally grasped:

   People who need cognitive closure will absorb a statement early in the process of acquiring knowledge, "freeze" on that seized idea, and resist further information.

6. (of melted chocolate) grainy and clumpy from overheating or from contact with a small amount of moisture:

   To reverse the reaction, add more liquid, but just enough to dissolve most of the sugar and cocoa particles in the seized chocolate clumps.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of seize.

Other Word Forms

• un·seized adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of seized¹

seize ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Haitian police announced in April 2024 that they had seized the two boxes.

From BBC

Products will be seized and destroyed if people try to bring them in, and in "serious cases" people could be fined up to £5,000.

From BBC

"Unlike in the past, the IDF is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized," he said.

From BBC

Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, girls over the age of 12 have been barred from getting an education, and women from many jobs.

From BBC

The RSF has also previously denied accusations from the US and human rights groups that it has committed a genocide against non-Arab groups in other parts of Darfur after it seized control of those areas.

From BBC

Related Words

• captured