solitary confinement

noun

: the state of being kept alone in a prison cell away from other prisoners
He spent three months in solitary confinement.

Examples of solitary confinement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Angye, who has been at Camp East Montana for just over a month, claims he was then locked in solitary confinement for 15 days. Kristin Wright, NPR, 30 May 2026 The punishments included solitary confinement and use of force. Julia Bowling, The Conversation, 29 May 2026 Other stories involved a German tourist who said she was held by ICE for 45 days, some of that time in solitary confinement; and a New Zealand woman who was detained with her 6-year-old son for three weeks. Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026 Inside prison—first Pentonville, then Wandsworth, and finally Reading Gaol—Wilde withstood solitary confinement for more than a year. Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for solitary confinement

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Solitary confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitary%20confinement. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster