1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

captivity

noun

kap-ˈti-və-tē How to pronounce captivity (audio)
Definition of captivitynext
as in internment
the act of confining or the state of being confined the wildlife refuge raises endangered species in captivity and then releases them into the wild

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of captivity Rio Blanco County Commissioner Callie Scritchfield, however, said captivity is more humane than allowing the horses to roam free. — Stina Sieg, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026 Weeks before Hayden Panettiere’s tragic death on August 16, the longtime animal rights advocate used her celebrity platform to raise awareness for dolphins and whales held in captivity. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 19 Aug. 2026 As Koschei the Deathless stirs from millennia-long captivity, powerful allies close in to reclaim the human lands. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 For the project, focused on ending the captivity of dolphins and whales in marine parks, Panettiere was photographed in a tiny bathtub. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
  1. internment
  2. imprisonment
  3. incarceration
  4. confinement
  5. prison
Noun
  • Aliens land in Johannesburg in 1982 seeking refuge, but instead they're crammed into an internment camp called District 9.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Matsui’s response centered on her family’s history in a Japanese internment camp.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of internment
Noun
  • Habeas corpus, which allows a defendant to challenge the legality of their imprisonment, is among several mechanisms for release, some of which depend on a detainee’s location.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • His subjects are voluntary members of the American elite who were at no risk of imprisonment or impoverishment.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of imprisonment
Noun
  • The type of purge now synonymous with the actions of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union aims at eliminating someone from the party, whether through incarceration, exile, or death.
    — ANDREW MERTHA, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Launching October 14, the doc follows the pursuit of journalists alongside the survivors who speak out, charting Glitter’s 1997 conviction, through to his years on the run, and eventual incarceration.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of incarceration
Noun
  • Nitta said the Emergence experiment is the first to shed light on how AI agents collude to bypass guardrails and break confinement, as OpenAI has yet to release all of its findings from the Hugging Face incident.
    — Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • There may also be special provisions allowing greater access to your money for circumstances such as nursing home confinement or a terminal illness.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of confinement
Noun
  • After pleading guilty, Ashford was sentenced to 15 years in prison but served only nine months and five years' probation upon release, authorities said.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • As a result of the 2011 conviction, he was sentenced to life in prison.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of prison

Browse Nearby Words

captivities
captivity
captor
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All