1
: kept within confines: such as
a
: limited to a particular location
confined to bed
b
: held captive
confined prisoners
2
: very small
confined spaces
a confined compartment
3
dated
: undergoing childbirth
In Scotland, the Countess of Athole, who was lying-in at Edinburgh Castle near the similarly confined Mary, Queen of Scots, is reported to have cast her own birth pangs onto a waiting-woman in the queen's chamber.—
Michael Olmert
Michael OlmertExamples of confined in a Sentence
She gets uncomfortable in confined spaces.
confined citizens have basic rights under that nation's constitution
Recent Examples on the Web
The new tubes solve that problem with an internal divider at the middle of the tube that helps trap the air in a confined chamber.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 3 Feb. 2026
New York State now has six months to develop a plan to comply with a recent class action settlement addressing the lack of adequate mental health services for confined youth.
—Gladys Carrión, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
In a confined world of discipline, a girl’s quiet longing unfolds through a box of chocolate, where desire and control begin to dissolve.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2026
The reason is simple: Impaired behavior can escalate quickly and pose safety risks, especially in a confined cabin, some 30,000 feet in the sky.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confined
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Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 3 Feb. 2026
New York State now has six months to develop a plan to comply with a recent class action settlement addressing the lack of adequate mental health services for confined youth.
—Gladys Carrión, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
In a confined world of discipline, a girl’s quiet longing unfolds through a box of chocolate, where desire and control begin to dissolve.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2026
The reason is simple: Impaired behavior can escalate quickly and pose safety risks, especially in a confined cabin, some 30,000 feet in the sky.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for confined
Cite this Entry
“Confined.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confined. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
confined
adjective
con·fined
kən-ˈfīnd 
: undergoing childbirth
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