confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment kən-ˈfīn-mənt 

: an act of confining : the state of being confined

solitary confinement

especially : lying-in

Synonyms

• captivity
• internment
• imprisonment
• incarceration
• prison

Examples of confinement in a Sentence

The dog was kept in confinement until it was determined to be healthy.

He remained with his wife during her confinement.

Recent Examples on the Web

Alcatraz prison embodied terror, isolation and despair, where hardened criminals faced relentless confinement on a desolate rock surrounded by icy, inescapable waters. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 July 2025

The central function of the judiciary, in all places, is the protection of individuals against arbitrary confinement by the executive. —George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025

Lately there have been major advances in inertial fusion at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, but magnetic confinement promises, through CFS leadership, to be the first commercial plant. —Llewellyn King, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

McIntire’s federal public defender argued successfully that strict home confinement with GPS monitoring at his parents’ house in Parkville would sufficiently mitigate any risk. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, from confiner "to confine entry 2" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing confinement

• solitary confinement

Rhymes for confinement

• misalignment
• nonalignment
• realignment
• reassignment
• reconsignment
• alignment
• alinement
• assignment
• consignment
• refinement

Medical Definition

confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment kən-ˈfīn-mənt 

: an act of confining : the state of being confined

especially : lying-in

Legal Definition

confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment

1

: the act of confining

2

: the state of being confined