in captivity

idiom

of animals
: while living in a zoo
The lions were bred in captivity.

Examples of in captivity 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.
This behavior, known as intraspecific predation, has been documented both in the wild and in captivity. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025 Northern American river otters typically live up to eight or nine years in wild, but have lived for 21 years in captivity, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2025 More: Putin spokesman says Trump's foreign policy 'largely coincides' with Russia's vision Trufanov was freed after nearly 500 days in captivity in February as part of talks leading to a ceasefire. Reuters, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025 Israel says that there are still 59 hostages in captivity, of whom Israel believes 35 are dead. Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for in captivity

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“In captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20captivity. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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!