confined

adjective

con·​fined kən-ˈfīnd 

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

Synonyms of confined

• imprisoned
• captive
• arrested
• captured
• jailed
• interned

Examples 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

And some experts worry that as measles continues to appear in confined environments—such as, recently, an ICE facility in Texas—adequate infection-prevention measures will too frequently fall short. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026

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

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of confine entry 2

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for confined

• countersigned
• disinclined
• humankind
• interlined
• intertwined
• mastermind
• misaligned
• nonaligned
• predefined
• realigned
• reassigned
• recombined

Medical Definition

confined

adjective

con·​fined kən-ˈfīnd 

: undergoing childbirth