captivity
noun
cap·tiv·i·ty
kap-ˈti-və-tē 
Synonyms
Examples of captivity in a Sentence
The prisoners were released from captivity.
the wildlife refuge raises endangered species in captivity and then releases them into the wild
Recent Examples on the Web
The captivity included an eight-month stretch in which she was entirely confined to the hotel room.
—
Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Family members, joined by Israeli war Cabinet member Benny Gantz, carried 134 stretchers, corresponding to the number of hostages believed to remain in Hamas captivity.
—NBC News, 1 Mar. 2024
The humanitarian cost of the war and more than 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity for five months are too much to tolerate for these Israeli protesters.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
Elisabeth's mother was apparently oblivious to her daughter's captivity in her own home, according to Austrian authorities.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2024
This is because all a packing cube does is smoosh your belongings and yet the wee bit of space freed up from the smooshing isn’t enough to compensate for what your clothes will look like after they’re freed from captivity.
—Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024
Around 100 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity after scores were released in late November as part of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but Israel says 28 of them have died in captivity, three of whom were mistakenly shot by the IDF.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024
Navalny, 47, was Russia’s Nelson Mandela, an inspiring advocate for freedom and reform who chose state captivity in 2021 over a life in exile.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024
The images of a dazed, unshaved Diniz walking out of captivity were on the front pages of all the country’s newspapers and the case helped shape an anti-kidnapping law.
—Fabiola Moura, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024
Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Family members, joined by Israeli war Cabinet member Benny Gantz, carried 134 stretchers, corresponding to the number of hostages believed to remain in Hamas captivity.
—NBC News, 1 Mar. 2024
The humanitarian cost of the war and more than 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity for five months are too much to tolerate for these Israeli protesters.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2024
Elisabeth's mother was apparently oblivious to her daughter's captivity in her own home, according to Austrian authorities.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 1 Feb. 2024
This is because all a packing cube does is smoosh your belongings and yet the wee bit of space freed up from the smooshing isn’t enough to compensate for what your clothes will look like after they’re freed from captivity.
—Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024
Around 100 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity after scores were released in late November as part of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners, but Israel says 28 of them have died in captivity, three of whom were mistakenly shot by the IDF.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2024
Navalny, 47, was Russia’s Nelson Mandela, an inspiring advocate for freedom and reform who chose state captivity in 2021 over a life in exile.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024
The images of a dazed, unshaved Diniz walking out of captivity were on the front pages of all the country’s newspapers and the case helped shape an anti-kidnapping law.
—Fabiola Moura, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'captivity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of captivity was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing captivity
Dictionary Entries Near captivity
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/captivity. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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