concentration camp

noun

: a place where large numbers of people (such as prisoners of war, political prisoners, refugees, or the members of an ethnic or religious minority) are detained or confined under armed guard
used especially in reference to camps created by the Nazis in World War II for the internment and persecution of Jews and other prisoners
The Nazi soldiers hauled [Mordechai] Strigler off to a concentration camp, and carved swastikas into his cheeks and forehead with a razor blade. Over the next five years, he was sent from one concentration camp or slave-labor camp to another.David Remnick
She ended up dying in a concentration camp, just a few months before she would have been liberated.Marilyn Reynolds
The V2 killed thousands of British civilians while 20,000 concentration camp inmates died as slave labourers during its manufacture in the closing stages of the second world war.Anna Tomforde et al.
see also death camp

Examples of concentration camp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
They were imprisoned and killed in concentration camps. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2025 The tribal vilification of the Japanese during WWII facilitated support for the internment of 120,000 Japanese and American citizens in concentration camps, marking one of the most disgraceful eras in America’s history. Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 30 Mar. 2025 Bauer was lucky to survive six terrifying months in the concentration camps, where he was repeatedly beaten. Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025 Published in 1946 and translated into 50 languages with more than 16 million copies sold, Frankl’s account follows his time in the Nazi concentration camps and his exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of unspeakable adversity. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for concentration camp

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concentration camp was in 1901

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Concentration camp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concentration%20camp. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

concentration camp

noun
: a camp where persons (as prisoners of war, political prisoners, or refugees) are detained

More from Merriam-Webster on concentration camp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!