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
Over a forceful dissent from its three liberal members, the Supreme Court on Monday turned down an appeal from a prisoner in Illinois held in solitary confinement who said that prolonged denial of outdoor exercise was cruel and unusual punishment.
—
Adam Liptak, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023
Since Navalny’s initial detention in 2021, he has been routinely subjected to harsh treatment behind bars — regularly placed in solitary confinement and denied medical care.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
In 1995, he was detained upon arrival at J.F.K. Airport and held for more than a year, in solitary confinement, at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, in Manhattan.
—Adam Rasgon, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2023
Reporter Daniella Silva talked exclusively to asylum-seekers about the undrinkable water, constant threat of solitary confinement and limited access to doctors that make living there unbearable and dangerous.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 18 July 2023
This little wonder of biology, the amygdala, increases its activity in response to isolation and can actually heighten our fear and anxiety—symptoms prisoners in solitary confinement often suffer.
—Autumn Micketti, Spin, 3 Oct. 2023
The cries for closure had reached a peak in 1986 when a youth at the facility hanged himself in solitary confinement.
—Steve Thompson, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023
Fame has aged Cobain’s plaintive rasp, as if celebrity were some kind of public dungeon that turned his shout into a prisoner’s, looking for an echo in solitary confinement.
—Howard Hampton, Spin, 21 Sep. 2023
According to reports, Lai is kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 18 Sep. 2023
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Adam Liptak, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023
Since Navalny’s initial detention in 2021, he has been routinely subjected to harsh treatment behind bars — regularly placed in solitary confinement and denied medical care.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
In 1995, he was detained upon arrival at J.F.K. Airport and held for more than a year, in solitary confinement, at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, in Manhattan.
—Adam Rasgon, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2023
Reporter Daniella Silva talked exclusively to asylum-seekers about the undrinkable water, constant threat of solitary confinement and limited access to doctors that make living there unbearable and dangerous.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 18 July 2023
This little wonder of biology, the amygdala, increases its activity in response to isolation and can actually heighten our fear and anxiety—symptoms prisoners in solitary confinement often suffer.
—Autumn Micketti, Spin, 3 Oct. 2023
The cries for closure had reached a peak in 1986 when a youth at the facility hanged himself in solitary confinement.
—Steve Thompson, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023
Fame has aged Cobain’s plaintive rasp, as if celebrity were some kind of public dungeon that turned his shout into a prisoner’s, looking for an echo in solitary confinement.
—Howard Hampton, Spin, 21 Sep. 2023
According to reports, Lai is kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 18 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solitary confinement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Solitary confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solitary%20confinement. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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