CAPTIVITY Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

captivity

noun

kap-ˈti-və-tē

Definition of captivity

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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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 Today, 160 servicemembers were released from captivity. — Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026 At least 80 school children are still in captivity after being abducted by militants in the southern and northern regions of the country. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 Investigators suspected the animal had escaped from captivity because pythons are not native to the region, and wild snakes are typically inactive during March. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 Martian spends the first half of Season 2 trading information with British intelligence in exchange for orchestrating Sami’s safe return from captivity. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for captivity

Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity

Noun

Established in 1855 as a military post to fight against the Mescalero Apache, the fort went on to play a minor role in the Civil War and later served as a tuberculosis sanitorium and a World War II internment camp.

— Allison Savage Bates, Denver Post, 19 July 2026
The Rohingya still living in Myanmar face severe restrictions and many are confined to internment camps.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026

Definition of internment

Noun

In 2023, Ian was convicted of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury and obstruction of justice for orchestrating the scheme that led to Hadley’s wrongful imprisonment.

— Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Apartheid, political imprisonment, collective resistance and democratic transition belong to a moral and historical scale far beyond an executive transformation program.

— Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of imprisonment

Noun

Rather, sentence length produces consequences extending well beyond incarceration itself, influencing institutional placement, programming opportunities, personal safety, and ultimately the prospects for rehabilitation.

— Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Occhicone has cost Florida taxpayers $850,000 for his incarceration, not taking into account his legal appeals, Tampa television station WTVT has reported.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 24 July 2026

Definition of incarceration

Noun

Precision engineering for plasma confinement The inner steel hull blocks heat transfer, which protects external superconducting magnets that operate near absolute zero.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026
Court documents do not make clear what treatment, if any, Henrichsen received during his confinement.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of confinement

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captivities

captivity

captor

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“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of captivity

noun

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