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
Thousands of people across New Jersey and the nation celebrated the release of Tenafly native Edan Alexander on Monday after the 21-year-old American-Israeli man spent more than 19 months in Hamas captivity.
—
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 12 May 2025
The war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when the Hamas terrorist group staged a widespread ambush in Israel, killing 1,200 people, including children, and taking 251 hostages, with about 20 still held in captivity.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 8 June 2025
More recently, a 75-year-old man was killed by a cassowary at an exotic animal breeding farm in Florida, where the bird was being kept in captivity.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Angela’s Gilead mother, Naomi (Ever Carradine), is present and consensually gives the child back to Janine after Janine has also been rescued herself from Gilead captivity and returned to June.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 12 May 2025
The war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when the Hamas terrorist group staged a widespread ambush in Israel, killing 1,200 people, including children, and taking 251 hostages, with about 20 still held in captivity.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 8 June 2025
More recently, a 75-year-old man was killed by a cassowary at an exotic animal breeding farm in Florida, where the bird was being kept in captivity.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Angela’s Gilead mother, Naomi (Ever Carradine), is present and consensually gives the child back to Janine after Janine has also been rescued herself from Gilead captivity and returned to June.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
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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
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It was most recently used as the basis for Japanese internment during World War II.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
6 May 2025
Noun
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For decades, mainstream television and film have often depicted Black families as fractured, usually due to incarceration, abandonment, or tragedy.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
15 June 2025
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But forcing people to move under the very real threat of incarceration is neither what many in our communities want nor what unhoused individuals need.—
Jamie Chang,
Mercury News,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Now He’s Accused of Killing All 3 Copeland will remain in pretrial confinement, because of the seriousness of the charges, Griffin told WAVY.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
21 June 2025
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Below, a full rundown of Kelly’s recent attempts to escape confinement.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Under the terms of the agreement, Judge Julie Lugo, who presides in the 372nd District Court, sentenced Wolfe to 40 years in prison.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2025
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What To Know Shannon McShane was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to influencing a public servant, perjury, and retaliation against a witness or victim.—
Jenna Sundel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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