captivity

noun

cap·​tiv·​i·​ty kap-ˈti-və-tē 

1

: the state of being captive

Some birds thrive in captivity.

2

obsolete : a group of captives

Synonyms of captivity

• internment
• imprisonment
• incarceration
• confinement
• prison

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 Ukrainian government then runs a search query, and replies with whether the subject is in Ukrainian captivity, has been confirmed dead, has been returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange, or is not included in any of those databases. —Sophie Spiegelberger, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026

An aardvark brought to the Brookfield Zoo from South Africa became only the second creature of its kind held in captivity in the United States. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026

More than 100 Americans escaped foreign detention and captivity thanks to Jackson. —Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing captivity

• in captivity

Rhymes for captivity

• acclivity
• activity
• declivity
• festivity
• nativity
• passivity
• proclivity
• absorptivity
• affectivity
• collectivity
• conductivity
• connectivity