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
He is served three meals a day in solitary confinement, his food tray delivered directly to the cell.
—
Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Prison critics call supermax facilities, with their frequent solitary confinement, excessively inhumane.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
During his five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement, Lai has been convicted of several lesser offenses and appears to have grown more frail and thinner.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
Lai has spent five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement.
—Didi Tang, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for solitary confinement
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.
Danielle Bacher, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
Prison critics call supermax facilities, with their frequent solitary confinement, excessively inhumane.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
During his five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement, Lai has been convicted of several lesser offenses and appears to have grown more frail and thinner.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
Lai has spent five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement.
—Didi Tang, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for solitary confinement
Cite this Entry
“Solitary confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitary%20confinement. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share