captivity

noun

cap·​tiv·​i·​ty kap-ˈti-və-tē How to pronounce captivity (audio)
1
: the state of being captive
some birds thrive in captivity
2
obsolete : a group of captives

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 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 Israel says about 100 hostages remain alive in Hamas captivity and that the effort to free them remains a priority. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 The three soldiers are believed to have escaped captivity, with one of them carrying a white flag, when they were gunned down by their own troops. The Week Uk, theweek, 15 Jan. 2024 Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after dozens were freed during a cease-fire in November. Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 13 Feb. 2024 More than 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, in addition to 29 others who are believed to be dead, most of them killed during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to Israeli officials. Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 12 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

Dictionary Entries Near captivity

Cite this Entry

“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/captivity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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