captivity
noun
cap·tiv·i·ty
kap-ˈti-və-tē 
Synonyms
Examples of captivity in a Sentence
The prisoners were released from captivity.
the wildlife refuge raises endangered species in captivity and then releases them into the wild
Recent Examples on the Web
Learn more about some of the best new discoveries:
4-foot-long predator, kept in captivity for over a decade, discovered as new species
In Ethiopia, a 4-foot-long snake known as Broadley’s African house snake was identified as a new species after being kept in captivity for years.
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Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Amir Levy / Getty Images Seven U.S. citizens remain in Hamas' captivity, with three confirmed to be dead in addition to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, whose body was recovered last year by Israeli forces.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025
The deal, expected to be implemented Sunday, would bring relief to nearly two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and allow for the return of dozens of hostages to Israel held in captivity since Hamas’s initial attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Other notable white orcas are Iceberg, spotted near Russia in 2012; Chimo, a female that lived in captivity 1970s; and Tl’uk, a gray-white orca spotted in British Columbia, Sky Angel Drone said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 15 Jan. 2025
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Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Amir Levy / Getty Images Seven U.S. citizens remain in Hamas' captivity, with three confirmed to be dead in addition to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, whose body was recovered last year by Israeli forces.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025
The deal, expected to be implemented Sunday, would bring relief to nearly two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and allow for the return of dozens of hostages to Israel held in captivity since Hamas’s initial attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Other notable white orcas are Iceberg, spotted near Russia in 2012; Chimo, a female that lived in captivity 1970s; and Tl’uk, a gray-white orca spotted in British Columbia, Sky Angel Drone said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for captivity
Dictionary Entries Near captivity
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/captivity. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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