confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment kən-ˈfīn-mənt How to pronounce confinement (audio)
: an act of confining : the state of being confined
solitary confinement
especially : lying-in

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 He was released in December that year under a royal pardon, but the confinement shook him. Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Riots can be in a place of confinement as well, such as a jail.) unrest, clash - Avoid using words that suggest violence when describing largely peaceful protests. Adrian Vore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Nov. 2023 Still, the flooding, the mud, and the confinement have not disrupted the party for many of the 70,000-plus burners. Anna Betts, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2023 Friend just committed to a life circumscribed by three factors: Partner’s illness, Partner’s preference for both to respond to the illness together with home confinement and Friend’s (possibly silent) acquiescence to those terms. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023 Israel is universally blamed by Palestinians for desperate humanitarian conditions and punishing mass confinement inside Gaza. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2023 The court spokesman, Doug Buchanan, said in a statement that Hertzfeld could not have ordered the teen securely detained, because the D.C. attorney general’s office, which prosecutes juveniles in the city, did not ask the judge to impose that level of confinement. Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023 On Friday, a DeKalb County Superior Court judge sentenced Hickey to 35 years in prison, serving 30 in confinement and the remaining 5 years on probation. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023 About 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are for animal agriculture; these drugs allow for higher productivity by reducing the risk that animals will get sick when they are kept in close confinement. Noah Gordon, The New Republic, 3 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confinement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of confinement was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near confinement

Cite this Entry

“Confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confinement. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

confinement

noun
con·​fine·​ment kən-ˈfīn-mənt How to pronounce confinement (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on confinement

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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