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
Would Rhaenyra’s Syrax — a formidably sized dragon, albeit one raised in captivity — be able to torch them all?
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 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
Will Matt Damon suffer in his captivity, or enjoy it?
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
There is also the mystery around the captivity of Otto Hightower, Alicent’s father.
—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
22 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
Will Matt Damon suffer in his captivity, or enjoy it?
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
There is also the mystery around the captivity of Otto Hightower, Alicent’s father.
—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for captivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivity
Noun
-
During the special, Klepper travels to a peaceful nude bike rally against ICE internment camps holding people without due process.
-
In California, language related to the internment of Japanese Americans at the Manzanar National Historic Site, as well as the history of Indigenous people in Death Valley and Muir Woods came under scrutiny.
Noun
-
Glenn Middleton is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison, plus a minimum of five years imprisonment consecutive if found guilty of other charges.
-
Those causes carried timeless moral weight that outlasted Gandhi’s assassination and Mandela’s nearly three decades of imprisonment.
Noun
-
In the movie Invictus, Nelson Mandela refers to the poem by the same name as something that sustained him during his 27 years of incarceration.
-
Layne’s group has pushed county leaders to fund a continuous drug addiction treatment program, expanding access for those who need it both during and after incarceration.
Noun
-
The poor conditions inside detention centers and the prolonged confinement often compel detainees to give up their quest for a court hearing and opt to leave the country of their own accord.
-
Understanding fusion fuel One of the hub’s basic goals is to refine the understanding of inertial confinement fusion (ICF).
Noun
-
Given the cameras in the courtroom, his defense argued – much like lawyers have in Tyler Robinson’s case in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk – that his appearance in shackles and a prison outfit could influence potential jurors.
-
Later, Simpson served nine years in prison after being convicted on unrelated charges.
Cite this Entry
“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivity. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
