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

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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 Rescue tells the story of Roro, a Yemeni mother of young children fighting to reunite her family after a Mediterranean rescue operation left her separated from her husband and held in captivity in Libya. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026 Even more surprisingly, the 24-year-old doe that lived in captivity in Kerr Wildlife Management Area actually birthed a fawn in her final year. — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026 By 1987, the last free-flying condor had been brought into captivity, and an intensive captive breeding program was underway. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 During captivity, the animals get their vaccine shots for the plague and canine distemper, which grants them lifelong immunity. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
  1. internment
  2. imprisonment
  3. incarceration
  4. confinement
  5. prison
Noun
  • Adding to the dark absurdity of the situation was the fact that Seghers’s husband, the Hungarian Marxist scholar László Radványi, was being held in a French internment camp, on the basis that Hungary was a German ally.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • At the exhibition’s press opening, curator Cindy Kang talked about trying to dispel the idea that internment was an isolated incident that these artists then moved on from.
    — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of internment
Noun
  • What readers are saying The comments reflect a strong sentiment against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with many expressing hope for his removal from power and potential imprisonment.
    — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2026
  • During his imprisonment, al-Sakani was separated from his wife, Iman, and their 3-year-old daughter, Misk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of imprisonment
Noun
  • Looking back, Williams talks about incarceration as her way out.
    — Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The budgeting of Care First, Community Investments (CFCI) must equal 10% of untethered general fund dollars each year for alternatives to incarceration, such as mental health and substance abuse treatment and housing placements.
    — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of incarceration
Noun
  • The cage-free adoption and medical facility was designed to maximize socialization and lessen any stress on the animals by eliminating confinement.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The Miami Correctional Facility, however, is the only detention center located inside an active state prison designed for punitive confinement.
    — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of confinement
Noun
  • He was handcuffed and taken to prison, a cell the size of a closet and where an orange plastic bucket would serve as his toilet.
    — Mark Kennedy, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Maxwell is the only associate of Epstein to be charged with a crime and sentenced to prison.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of prison

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Cite this Entry

“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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