as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined
the internment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II is one of the more shameful chapters in United States history
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Recent Examples of internment
The United States hasn't held that many people outside the criminal justice system since the internment of people of Japanese, German and Italian descent during World War II.
—
Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Through a mix of fiction and nonfiction, Questions 27 & 28 introduces us to three generations of characters who were all impacted by FDR’s internment, a novelistic investigation of a shameful American chapter.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
In wartime Los Angeles, with Pearl Harbor still fresh in people's minds, and 120,000 Japanese Americans banished to internment camps, paranoia ran deep.
—David Alvarado, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Human rights groups say, however, that China detained more than 1 million Uyghurs in internment camps from 2017 to 2019.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for internment
Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Through a mix of fiction and nonfiction, Questions 27 & 28 introduces us to three generations of characters who were all impacted by FDR’s internment, a novelistic investigation of a shameful American chapter.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
In wartime Los Angeles, with Pearl Harbor still fresh in people's minds, and 120,000 Japanese Americans banished to internment camps, paranoia ran deep.
—David Alvarado, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Human rights groups say, however, that China detained more than 1 million Uyghurs in internment camps from 2017 to 2019.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for internment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for internment
Noun
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David and Ariel Cunio, who were among the last Israeli hostages to be freed from Gaza after two years of captivity last October, will travel to Berlin next week for a screening of Tom Shoval’s A Letter To David – The Complete Version.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
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Under the terms of the Dix-Hill agreement, some 30,000 prisoners were returned from captivity by the fall, but the formal exchange arrangement was soon upended.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
“Internment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/internment. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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