as in internment
the act of confining or the state of being confined
the wildlife refuge raises endangered species in captivity and then releases them into the wild
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of captivity
The charity reports that while elephants were once employed for war and labor, they are now commonly kept in captivity for entertainment.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
After four years of captivity, Chris got away by slipping his consciousness into a Kid Cosmo robot and finding Michelle.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
After his father died, his captivity grew more intense, according to the affidavit: He was given two sandwiches a day and the equivalent of two small bottles of water.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
Though he was allowed to periodically shower, the captivity was otherwise severe.
—Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
After four years of captivity, Chris got away by slipping his consciousness into a Kid Cosmo robot and finding Michelle.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
After his father died, his captivity grew more intense, according to the affidavit: He was given two sandwiches a day and the equivalent of two small bottles of water.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
Though he was allowed to periodically shower, the captivity was otherwise severe.
—Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
-
None of the internment camp players made it to Major League Baseball, but George Omachi, who played for the Denson All-Stars at the Jerome War Relocation Center in Denson, Arkansas, eventually became a scout for the league.—
Rachel Ng,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
-
More than 100,000 people of Japanese decent were sent to internment camps, which the federal government formally apologized for in 1988.—
Nicole Brown Chau,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of additional incarceration, his attorney asked for probation Tuesday.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 30 years to life in prison, while the defense argued for no incarceration.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Biden commuted Peltier’s sentence, ordering the remainder of his sentence to be served in home confinement.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Despite noting the couple violated the public’s trust and that the husband lied on the witness stand, a federal judge on Wednesday gave the Wades strikingly lenient sentences: three years of probation for Carolyn, including 90 days of home confinement, and 90 days of prison time for Tracy.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Three days later, his immigration attorney was able to reach an ICE official who confirmed that his client was in a prison in another country.—
Brian Bennett,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
-
One of the five men convicted in the 2022 drugging and robbery of patrons at gay bars in Manhattan was slapped with eight years in prison on Thursday.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share