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

He was released to home confinement and his trial was set for June 1, 2026. —Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025

The team managed to achieve a steady-state H-mode plasma at temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit), which is a high-confinement regime essential for practical energy input. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025

His conviction means that unless successful on appeal, Bolsonaro could end his days in confinement. —Joe Wright, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025

In a population already at higher risk of illness due to stress and confinement, these oversights can quickly escalate into medical emergencies. —Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 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