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
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.
While there, Hilton alleged that she was beaten, placed in solitary confinement for up to 20 hours, and given unknown pills. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2026 And those in need of rehab are sent to solitary confinement — a dangerous response that seems to be used for any and every problem that staff refuse to address. Brady Tillett, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026 Pike spent 27 years in what her attorneys say amounted to solitary confinement. Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 June 2026 His first three months were spent in solitary confinement. Krupa Shandilya, The Conversation, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for solitary confinement

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Solitary confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitary%20confinement. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster