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impounding

impounding

1 8.1
The act of holding someone's property by the police or a court because of a law
  • noun
  • /ɪmˈpaʊndɪŋ/
translation icon : incautación
  • The city announced the impounding of illegally parked cars to improve traffic flow on main roads.

And the city stood to to gain hundreds, if not thousands of dollars off each impound.

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Examples

  • The impounding of both reservoirs escalated into a crisis in the spring of 1975.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Consider a scenario where a government allows complete private sector ownership of all water system assets, including the impounding of bulk water, water treatment, and distribution.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Credit Insights, an independent credit research firm, argues that Russia could use the impounded aircraft for what they call Russia pariah airlines.

  • Despite Turkey releasing certain flows during the construction and impounding of the Keban Dam, no final allocation agreement was achieved at the end of numerous technical meetings.

    Academic text (2008)
  • However, the Syrian and the Iraqi governments officially protested Turkey and consequently called for an agreement to share the waters of the Euphrates, as well as a reduction in the impounding period.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The impounding of stray animals by the local shelter is necessary to ensure their safety.

  • After the accident, the police were responsible for the impounding of the damaged vehicles.

Synonyms

confiscation
vsimpounding
15 5.4

An authority takes someone's property as a punishment

means temporary official custody for legal reasons rather than punitive seizure
dispossession
vsimpounding
  • Specialized
3 8.2

A legal loss of land, property or other things someone owns

involves taking temporary custody rather than permanently removing ownership
impoundment
vsimpounding
1 8.7

Placing someone's property like a car or money into official custody for legal reasons

is the same act but often named in more legal or administrative texts
poundage
vsimpounding
  • Archaic
9.9

The act of authorities taking someone's property and holding it for legal reasons

is broader, applying to custody beyond only formal legal proceedings
internment
vsimpounding
  • Archaic
9.0

Holding private property by the authorities until a court decides who owns it

focuses on general legal custody rather than protective or preventive purpose

Antonyms

1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

How Seized

confiscation
15 5.4
seizure
  • Formal
71 6.1
impounding
1 8.1
holding
12 4.2
taking
68 1.7

Surface Forms

impounding singular
impoundings plural

Morphology

impounding = impound (transparent) = impound + ing

The noun is a standard -ing nominalization of the verb 'impound' meaning the act or process of impounding.

Etymology

Impounding comes from the prefix im- meaning 'in' and the old word pound, which was a 'place where stray animals or lost things were kept'. So, impounding is the act of putting a car, animal, or other property 'into' an official holding place by the authorities.