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
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Recent Examples of captivity
Among others, the office provides legal and psychotherapeutic and employment consultations for veterans, runs support groups for families of servicemen who are the prisoners of war in Russian captivity or are considered missing in action.
—
Yuriy Zaliznyak, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2025
For many Israelis, the continued captivity of hostages in Gaza is tempering the joy.
—Adam B. Kushner, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
People watch a live broadcast of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander as he is released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, Monday, May 12, 2025.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 12 May 2025
There are 59 hostages still in Gaza, at least 24 of whom are assessed to be alive, including Alexander, now 21 years old after having spent two birthdays in Hamas captivity.
—Stepheny Price , Yonat Friling, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Yuriy Zaliznyak, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2025
For many Israelis, the continued captivity of hostages in Gaza is tempering the joy.
—Adam B. Kushner, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
People watch a live broadcast of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander as he is released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, at a plaza known as the hostages square in Tel Aviv, Monday, May 12, 2025.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 12 May 2025
There are 59 hostages still in Gaza, at least 24 of whom are assessed to be alive, including Alexander, now 21 years old after having spent two birthdays in Hamas captivity.
—Stepheny Price , Yonat Friling, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
-
In 1917, Woodrow Wilson used the act to curtail the activities and speech of German citizens, leading to the internment of more than 6000 Germans, though they were provided with a hearing.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
23 May 2025
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The Trump administration justified the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a piece of legislation from 1798 that previously was used as defense for Japanese internment camps during World War II.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Poverty is a pretext for surveillance, over-policing and incarceration.—
Rod Adams,
Essence,
25 May 2025
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Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Warren said Friday that the maximum sentence for wire fraud is 20 years of incarceration, a $250,000 fine and three years on supervised release.—
Ryan Oehrli,
Charlotte Observer,
23 May 2025
Noun
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At least nine of the 25 arrested have landed in immigration detention — scattered across the country from a crowded lockup in Miami to a facility in a sleepy Texas railway town to a confinement in a Pacific Northwest port city overlooked by Mount Rainier.—
Hannah Critchfield,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2025
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He was subsequently ordered to home confinement in April 2025.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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But Hoover will remain in prison, serving a 200-year sentence for his state court conviction for murder.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
31 May 2025
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After a guilty plea, Brown faces up to 20 years in prison.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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