confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment kən-ˈfīn-mənt 

: an act of confining : the state of being confined

solitary confinement

especially : lying-in

Synonyms

• captivity
• internment
• imprisonment
• incarceration
• prison

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 on the Web

These conditions of confinement might mirror what we're used to in prisons and jails and can sometimes be worse. —Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025

Inaccurate data can lead to instability, allowing the plasma to escape its magnetic confinement and potentially cause damage to the machine. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025

Adult court carries much longer terms of confinement than juvenile court, which focuses on rehabilitation and offers more services. —Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 10 Oct. 2025

After his grisly crimes were uncovered, Gein spent his final years in psychiatric confinement far from the farmhouse that once horrified the nation. —Aya Al-Hakim, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, from confiner "to confine entry 2" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing confinement

• solitary confinement

Rhymes for confinement

• misalignment
• nonalignment
• realignment
• reassignment
• reconsignment
• alignment
• alinement
• assignment
• consignment
• refinement

Medical Definition

confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment kən-ˈfīn-mənt 

: an act of confining : the state of being confined

especially : lying-in

Legal Definition

confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment

1

: the act of confining

2

: the state of being confined