solitary confinement
noun
: the state of being kept alone in a prison cell away from other prisoners
He spent three months in solitary confinement.
Examples of solitary confinement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In this sense, lockdowns are a form of solitary confinement.
—
Gabrielle Caplan, WIRED, 6 May 2024
In 1921, the former county jail descended into an 18-hour riot after one man started a fire to heat his coffee and jailers responded by placing him in solitary confinement.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Some have been placed in solitary confinement because of their identity.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024
What followed was nearly seven years of brutality during which he was beaten, chained to a wall, threatened with death, often had guns held to his head and was kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2024
Harris was a pre-trial detainee at the Appling County Jail and was in solitary confinement, according to the suit.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
The judge’s ruling also noted that Assange could be stuck in solitary confinement for 23 hours per day while awaiting trial in the U.S., a punishment widely considered by other wealthy countries to be torture.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
He was also routinely kept in solitary confinement and not permitted to attend school or receive an alternative education, per the complaint.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who suffers from a neurological condition after surviving two attempts to poison him, was transferred to a new Siberian penal colony in January and placed in solitary confinement, his wife said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
Gabrielle Caplan, WIRED, 6 May 2024
In 1921, the former county jail descended into an 18-hour riot after one man started a fire to heat his coffee and jailers responded by placing him in solitary confinement.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Some have been placed in solitary confinement because of their identity.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024
What followed was nearly seven years of brutality during which he was beaten, chained to a wall, threatened with death, often had guns held to his head and was kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2024
Harris was a pre-trial detainee at the Appling County Jail and was in solitary confinement, according to the suit.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
The judge’s ruling also noted that Assange could be stuck in solitary confinement for 23 hours per day while awaiting trial in the U.S., a punishment widely considered by other wealthy countries to be torture.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
He was also routinely kept in solitary confinement and not permitted to attend school or receive an alternative education, per the complaint.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Vladimir Kara-Murza, who suffers from a neurological condition after surviving two attempts to poison him, was transferred to a new Siberian penal colony in January and placed in solitary confinement, his wife said.
—Reuters, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solitary confinement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near solitary confinement
Cite this Entry
“Solitary confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitary%20confinement. Accessed 10 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share