confinement

play

noun con·fine·ment \kən-ˈfīn-mənt\

Definition of confinement

: an act of confining : the state of being confined solitary confinement; especially : lying-in

See confinement defined for English-language learners

Examples of confinement in a Sentence

The dog was kept in confinement until it was determined to be healthy.
He remained with his wife during her confinement.

Recent Examples of confinement from the Web

In preparation for Malloy’s exit, reform advocates have pushed for legislation backing another of the administration’s policy changes: a deliberate reduction in the use of solitary confinement.

— josh jacobs, The Atlantic, "How Long Can Connecticut's Prison Reform Last?," 15 July 2017
And the findings come as some state prison systems have limited their use of solitary confinement.

— sadie gurman, The Seattle Times, "Watchdog report: Solitary confinement can harm inmates," 13 July 2017
Calvin Dimetrius Poston, 17, will be tried as an adult on charges of murder, murder in perpetration of robbery, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, rape and criminal confinement, which were filed in the death of Carolyn Rimpson, 61, of Gary.

— ruth ann krause, Post-Tribune, "Gary teen charged in 2015 death of woman who had suffered from Alzheimer's," 11 July 2017
One of the videos, from November, shows an inmate in solitary confinement who had pushed his hands through the food slot in his door and refused to pull them back in his cell.

— jason stein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Videos released by court show Wisconsin teen inmates being pepper sprayed," 6 July 2017
Petty Officer 3rd Class Peter Mims was held in a military brig until being released on Tuesday, when a review decided that continued confinement wasn’t necessary, said Cmdr.

— jeanette steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Sailor who hid aboard ship during massive man-overboard search now in San Diego awaiting possible charges," 30 June 2017
No one appeared more surprised by the judge’s sudden action than Williams, who was escorted away in handcuffs and booked into a cell in the detention center’s Special Housing Unit with conditions akin to solitary confinement.

— jeremy roebuck, Philly.com, "From an early, unexpected prison stay, Seth Williams awaits his fate," 30 June 2017
On June 21, allegedly following an hour of confinement, the teen managed to escape through a window, fleeing to a neighbor’s home for safety.

— chris harris, PEOPLE.com, "Police Search for Oregon Man Who Allegedly Raped Teen and Threatened to ‘Skin Her Alive in the Woods’," 26 June 2017
The room, which prison officials say will open to inmates in a few weeks, is part of a broader effort to reform solitary confinement in Alaska prisons announced by the Department of Corrections this week.

— michelle theriault boots, Alaska Dispatch News, "Coming to the Anchorage jail: Nature imagery to stave off sensory deprivation in solitary inmates," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'confinement.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.