seizure
2 antonyms and opposites of seizure, grouped by meaning.
Noun — A sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain, causing symptoms such as convulsions, stiffening, staring, confusion or loss of consciousness. Repeated unprovoked seizures are what define epilepsy.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain, causing symptoms such as convulsions, stiffening, staring, confusion or loss of consciousness. Repeated unprovoked seizures are what define epilepsy.
“She had two seizures in the night and was kept in for observation.”
2. noun legal
The act of taking possession of property, goods or assets by legal authority or by force.
“The seizure of the vessel and its cargo was upheld by the court.”
Opposites
3. noun
The taking of control of a place, position or power, usually suddenly and by force.
“The seizure of the broadcasting station was the first sign of the coup.”
Antonyms
How to Use Seizure
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Neutral in both medical and legal contexts; the plural seizures is the usual form when discussing the medical sense.
Etymology
From seize, from Old French saisir, meaning to take possession of, from which the medical sense developed via the older idea of being seized by an illness.
Full origin of seizure →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a seizure and epilepsy?
A seizure is a single event. Epilepsy is the ongoing condition diagnosed when someone has a tendency to repeated seizures that are not caused by a temporary trigger, so a person can have a seizure once, from a high fever or head injury, without having epilepsy.
What should you do when someone is having a seizure?
Keep them safe rather than restrain them: move hard objects away, cushion the head, and never put anything in their mouth. Time it, and call emergency services if it lasts more than five minutes, repeats without recovery, or the person is injured, pregnant or not breathing normally afterwards.
What is the difference between a seizure and a fit?
They describe the same event. Seizure is the clinical term used by doctors, while fit is the informal everyday word, now discouraged in medical settings.