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seizure meaning and examples

2025-11-01

Meaning

The noun “seizure” has two main meanings:

  1. Medical meaning: A sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain that causes changes in behavior, movements, feelings, or consciousness.

  2. Legal meaning: The act of taking possession of something by force or legal authority — for example, when police or customs officers take illegal goods or property.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun

  • Countable: Yes (e.g., a seizure, seizures)

  • Used in both medical and legal contexts.

  • Typical structures:

    • “have a seizure” (medical)
    • “the seizure of property” (legal, formal)

Medical usage

  • “to suffer/have/experience a seizure”
  • “epileptic seizure” (caused by epilepsy)
  • “the seizure of drugs/weapons/documents”
  • “customs seizure” or “police seizure”

Common Phrases

  • have a seizure – experience a sudden convulsion
  • epileptic seizure – a seizure caused by epilepsy
  • drug seizure – when police confiscate illegal drugs
  • seizure of assets – government or court takes someone’s property
  • power seizure – taking political control by force

Collocations

  • Verb + seizure: have, suffer, experience, cause, trigger
  • Adjective + seizure: sudden, epileptic, severe, drug, asset
  • Noun + of + noun: seizure of power, seizure of goods

Examples

  1. The patient suffered a severe seizure during the night.
  2. Epilepsy is a condition that causes recurring seizures.
  3. Police announced the seizure of illegal firearms in the raid.
  4. The government ordered the seizure of the company’s assets.
  5. After a few minutes, the seizure stopped and she regained consciousness.
  6. A massive drug seizure took place near the border.
  7. The general led a seizure of power after the coup.
  8. Some medications can help prevent seizures in epileptic patients.
  9. Customs officers reported the seizure of counterfeit goods at the port.
  10. His sudden seizure frightened everyone in the room.
  • Medical: convulsion, fit, episode
  • Legal: confiscation, impoundment, takeover

Antonym

  • Medical: recovery, stability
  • Legal: release, return, restoration