confinement

noun

con·​fine·​ment kən-ˈfīn-mənt 

1

: an act of confining : the state of being confined

solitary confinement

2

: lying-in

Synonyms of confinement

• 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

Lira was sentenced to four months in federal prison and four months of home confinement and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Unlike several of the other artists on view, his confinement is the result of political repression rather than mental illness. —Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026

Lira was sentenced to four months in federal prison and four months of home confinement and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. —City News Service, Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026

By identifying patterns that precede instability, operators could intervene before plasma confinement collapses. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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