entrapment

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noun en·trap·ment \in-ˈtrap-mənt, en-\

Definition of entrapment

1a : the action or process of entrappingb : the condition of being entrapped
2 : the action of luring an individual into committing a crime in order to prosecute the person for it
3 medical : chronic compression of a peripheral nerve (such as the median nerve) usually between ligamentous and bony surfaces that is marked by pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness

See entrapment defined for English-language learners

Examples of entrapment in a Sentence

her entrapment in an unhappy marriage
His lawyer argued that he was a victim of police entrapment.

Recent Examples of entrapment from the Web

Between 2012-2016 there were 17 victims of entrapment in pools, mostly involving children.

— lindsey murray, Good Housekeeping, "Mom Shares Story to Raise Awareness of Pool Danger That Nearly Killed Her Child", 5 June 2017
Initial reports of entrapment proved unfounded and no injuries were reported in the pre-dawn inferno.

— real time desk, Philly.com, "Arson ruled in fired that destroyed South Jersey home, vehicles", 16 May 2017
The common thread is entrapment: the soldiers cannot escape the trenches, the woman cannot escape the house.

— alex ross, The New Yorker, "Chaya Czernowin’s Darkly Majestic Opera “Infinite Now”", 15 May 2017
Emma Messenger and Rick Yaconis make the most of the alternately wacky and brutal tale of entrapment, adapted by William Goldman from the 1987 Stephen King novel of the same name.

— joanne ostrow, The Know, "Review: “Misery” at The Edge offers uneasy laughs in all the right places. Yes, laughs.", 2 May 2017
And Porter and Contra Costa County were even co-defendants in a lawsuit stemming from the entrapment scheme, which involved a corrupt county sheriff’s deputy.

— daniel borenstein, The Mercury News, "Borenstein: Job ends for social worker with domestic violence past", 13 Apr. 2017
Old-style kompromat featured doctored photographs, planted drugs, grainy videos of liaisons with prostitutes hired by the K.G.B., and a wide range of other primitive entrapment techniques.

— andrew higgins, New York Times, "Foes of Russia Say Child Pornography Is Planted to Ruin Them", 9 Dec. 2016
In addition to the commercial trade, seahorses have to contend with habitat loss and entrapment in shrimp-trawl nets.

— jani actman, National Geographic, "Dried Seahorses Seized—All Eight Million", 3 July 2016

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

First Known Use of entrapment

1597

ENTRAPMENT Defined for English Language Learners

entrapment

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noun

Definition of entrapment for English Language Learners

: the act of entrapping someone or something or the condition of being entrapped
: the illegal act of tricking someone into committing a crime so that the person you have tricked can be arrested

Medical Dictionary

entrapment

play

noun en·trap·ment \in-ˈtrap-mənt, en-\

Medical Definition of entrapment

: chronic compression of a peripheral nerve (as the median nerve or ulnar nerve) usually between ligamentous and bony surfaces that is characterized especially by pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness

Law Dictionary

entrapment

noun en·trap·ment

Legal Definition of entrapment

1 : the action or process of entrapping
2 : the state or condition of being entrapped; also : the affirmative defense of having been entrapped by a government agent (as an officer or informant) — see also predispose

Additional Notes on entrapment

Entrapment is available as a defense only when an agent of the state or federal government has provided the encouragement or inducement. This defense is sometimes allowed in administrative proceedings (as for the revocation of a license to practice medicine) as well as criminal proceedings. In order to establish entrapment, the defendant has the burden of proving either that he or she would not have committed the crime but for the undue persuasion or fraud of the government agent, or that the encouragement was such that it created a risk that persons not inclined to commit the crime would commit it, depending on the jurisdiction. When entrapment is pleaded, evidence (as character evidence) regarding the defendant that might otherwise have been excluded is allowed to be admitted.