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
Preá gathers enough money to attempt buying Janalice out of captivity, seeing this as his only way to rescue her.
—
Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip attend a rally demanding their release from Hamas captivity and calling for an end to the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, August 9, 2025.
—Ilan Berman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Less than 200 are now estimated to live in captivity, per the news agency.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Israel believes that as few as 20 hostages remain alive in Hamas captivity — many in critical condition, with only days left to live.
—Efrat Lachter , David Hammelburg, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 20 Aug. 2025
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip attend a rally demanding their release from Hamas captivity and calling for an end to the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, August 9, 2025.
—Ilan Berman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Less than 200 are now estimated to live in captivity, per the news agency.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Israel believes that as few as 20 hostages remain alive in Hamas captivity — many in critical condition, with only days left to live.
—Efrat Lachter , David Hammelburg, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
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The many thousands of Palestinians (including children) held hostage in Israeli jails and internment camps are, of course, not a consideration whatsoever.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In the northwestern province of Xinjiang, for instance, Beijing has refused to engage moderate voices and has relied on direct repression, including sending a large swath of the population to internment camps, to erase local culture and silence dissent among Uyghurs.—
Tenzin Dorjee,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vogel also advocated for the passage of legislation that eventually acknowledged the injustice of the exile and imprisonment and provided a payment of $20,000 to Japanese American camp survivors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
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But even the women who, before, had spouses and children and worked as shop assistants and typists and factory workers cannot quite name the circumstances of their imprisonment.—
Carmen Maria Machado,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Transporting immigrants just released from incarceration helped solve a problem for ICE.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Sep. 2025
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The new episode will also chronicle Syed’s personal journey from incarceration to freedom, and his eventual reunion with family after 23 years behind bars.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Leon’s bond conditions include home confinement and electronic monitoring.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
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These petitions challenge a detention by law enforcement, requiring the government to justify a person’s confinement.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Jones was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in 1996 and was in prison until 2021.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The law mandates that second-degree persistent felony offenders be sentenced to a prison term within the penalty range for the next highest degree of felony.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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