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
Weinstein-Haggai and her husband were among four Israeli-Americans whose bodies were believed to remain in Hamas captivity, with Itay Chen, 19 and Omer Neutra, 21, still believed to be held in Gaza.
—
Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 5 June 2025
The pro-Israel advocates gathered on Sunday for a Run for Their Lives event, a run/walk to raise awareness about Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2025
The man told authorities the suspects cut his leg with a saw, forced him to smoke crack cocaine and urinated on him during his captivity, according to prosecutors.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 30 May 2025
Its extinction is particularly tragic because no Bali tigers were ever kept in captivity – once the last wild individuals disappeared, the subspecies was lost forever.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 5 June 2025
The pro-Israel advocates gathered on Sunday for a Run for Their Lives event, a run/walk to raise awareness about Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2025
The man told authorities the suspects cut his leg with a saw, forced him to smoke crack cocaine and urinated on him during his captivity, according to prosecutors.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 30 May 2025
Its extinction is particularly tragic because no Bali tigers were ever kept in captivity – once the last wild individuals disappeared, the subspecies was lost forever.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
-
Japanese American internment during World War II was legally sanctioned and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
4 June 2025
-
As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard.—
Ani Freedman,
Fortune,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
The divorced father of three said he was detained in 2013 following an incarceration for violating probation related to a drug offense.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
-
This panel will examine mass incarceration through multiple lenses and how the criminal justice system serves as a point of crisis of public health, black wealth building, voter disenfranchisement, and family structure.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 July 2025
Noun
-
Alcatraz prison embodied terror, isolation and despair, where hardened criminals faced relentless confinement on a desolate rock surrounded by icy, inescapable waters.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 July 2025
-
The central function of the judiciary, in all places, is the protection of individuals against arbitrary confinement by the executive.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
If convicted, the charges carry sentences that could send her to prison for years.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 July 2025
-
An ex-con who went to prison for shooting a teenager to death during a birthday party went on to go into business as a gun trafficker in Queens after his release on parole, federal prosecutors say.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share