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
This most recent spate of films leaves genre theatrics behind and instead uses the power dynamics of captivity as a jumping-off point for other conversations.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Ukrainian officials said 150 Ukrainian servicemen and seven civilians returned from Russian captivity.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The rescue came about after Jordan Turpin — who was 17 at the time — escaped from the home and told authorities about their captivity and abuse.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
That is consistent with a 2019 law that banned whale and dolphin captivity, though Marineland's animals were grandfathered in.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Ukrainian officials said 150 Ukrainian servicemen and seven civilians returned from Russian captivity.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
The rescue came about after Jordan Turpin — who was 17 at the time — escaped from the home and told authorities about their captivity and abuse.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
That is consistent with a 2019 law that banned whale and dolphin captivity, though Marineland's animals were grandfathered in.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
-
Flags at Indiana's state facilities will remain at half-staff until sunset on the day of Hamilton's internment, according to the release.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Lillian Greenhut's late husband, Kurt Greenhut, was a child Holocaust survivor who endured internment in a concentration camp.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
He is charged with grand larceny, kidnapping, unauthorized use of a vehicle and unlawful imprisonment, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Bukele brought murder rates in El Salvador to historic lows through a gargantuan imprisonment campaign and police crackdown, but faces numerous allegations of human rights violations, especially regarding his notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).—
Djenane Villanueva,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
During more than 21 years of incarceration on death row at Idaho’s maximum security prison south of Boise, Hall repeatedly appealed his convictions in state and federal court.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The hospital cleared him for incarceration with a Narcan prescription and instructions to return to the emergency room if symptoms worsened, the lawsuit alleged.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Detainers are federal requests to local law enforcement to detain individuals for up to 48 hours after they're set to be released from criminal confinement — which gives ICE time to decide whether to take them into custody to begin deportation proceedings.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As a result of the parents' confinement, the family dog also only goes outside in a limited capacity.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Given his age, the prison term still could keep him behind bars for the rest of his life.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Hong Kong — Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, ending a years-long legal battle that has come to define Beijing’s transformational crackdown on the once-freewheeling financial hub.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
