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
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Recent Examples of captivity
It’s been just over eight months since the Jamaican dancehall legend was freed from captivity after serving 13 years behind bars for a murder conviction that was overturned on appeal in March 2024.
—
Rob Kenner, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025
A little more than 200 red wolves live in captivity, but fewer than 20 exist in the wild — all in a rural five-county section of northeastern North Carolina.
—Zachery Eanes, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
Many Ukrainian prisoners of war return from captivity looking skeletal and suffering serious health problems.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2025
Freed Hamas hostage Yarden Bibas is reunited with his mother
After more than 480 days in Hamas captivity, Yarden Bibas, the father of Hamas' youngest hostage, returned to Israel.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Rob Kenner, VIBE.com, 10 Apr. 2025
A little more than 200 red wolves live in captivity, but fewer than 20 exist in the wild — all in a rural five-county section of northeastern North Carolina.
—Zachery Eanes, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
Many Ukrainian prisoners of war return from captivity looking skeletal and suffering serious health problems.
—Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2025
Freed Hamas hostage Yarden Bibas is reunited with his mother
After more than 480 days in Hamas captivity, Yarden Bibas, the father of Hamas' youngest hostage, returned to Israel.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
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The United States has a shameful history of detaining and deporting citizens, from the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II to more recent cases.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Musician and educator Harry Urata, confined to an internment camp after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, encountered Japanese-American workers who had processed sugar cane leaves on Hawaiian plantations since the late 19th and early 20th centuries.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Through deeply personal storytelling, the film highlights the generational impact of mass incarceration, the resilience of families, and the urgent need for systemic change.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
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Many of the recipients are working on projects responding to issues including climate change, Indigenous studies, identity, democracy and politics, incarceration, and the evolving purpose of community.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His wife, Kimberly Maddox, 44, was sentenced to 12 months, including time in home confinement.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2025
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Federal judge Reed O’Connor dismissed Tarrant County and six jailers listed as defendants from the lawsuit in early February, citing the plaintiffs’ failure to show that Johnson’s death was a result of conditions of confinement, such as overcrowding.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Life without parole for Highland Park shooter The man who killed seven people and wounded nearly 50 in a mass shooting in 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois, was sentenced April 24 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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Petties was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 at age 36 for his trafficking career and connection to multiple homicides.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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