Definition of confinementnext
1
2
as in restriction
the act or practice of keeping something (as an activity) within certain boundaries the confinement of commercial development to one stretch of roadway is intended to help preserve the town's rural character

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 confinement Now back home and after her release on home confinement in December 2025, Shah says her relationships with her former castmates are still evolving. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026 Shah, who is currently on home confinement until August and must wear an ankle monitor, also reflected on her accomplishments in prison. Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026 The demonstration focused on plasma confinement within the exhaust channel, a key requirement for any future fusion propulsion system. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026 That implies near-total confinement to a cell, meals delivered through a slot in the door, little or no contact with other inmates, and limited recreation, usually alone. Michael Rios, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confinement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confinement
Noun
  • Watani Stiner is a memoirist and former Black Power activist whose writing explores revolution, exile, captivity, and reconciliation with family and history.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
  • He was brutally tortured during his captivity and held in solitary confinement for four of the years he was detained but stalwartly refused to provide the North Vietnamese with information.
    Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Another patient had to switch to an injection because the pill’s dietary restrictions — which involve taking it with a small amount of water and waiting 30 minutes before eating or drinking — did not fit into their lifestyle, Hofflich said.
    Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026
  • There’s something to be said of Augusta National’s cell-phone restriction this time every year.
    Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Others flagged for removal included exhibits on slavery and civil rights, LGBTQ history, WWII-era internment camps, and Indigenous histories.
    Owen Clarke, Outside, 19 Mar. 2026
  • His family moved to Reno, Nevada, to avoid the Japanese internment during World War II.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The Princeton team aimed to remove those limitations by integrating actuation directly into the material.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
  • But arbitration has several limitations.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Tasha Beamon, 48, was charged with vulnerable adult abuse and unlawful imprisonment.
    Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The co-conspirator was sentenced to two years imprisonment for his involvement in Schiller's kidnapping and Jorge Delgado got 15.
    Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Lorincz spoke out for the first time since her arrest, conviction and incarceration in a September 2025 interview with the local ABC affiliate WCJB.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
  • As part of his plea deal, Epstein was allowed to spend the majority of his incarceration working out of the plush personal office, returning to the county jail each night.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • On that same day, nearly 300 people were sent to the prison in El Salvador from the same Texas detention center, according to the American Immigration Council.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Sacramento’s smallest zoo Alali now lives in Natomas with her fiancé, Alex Saraceno, along with Merlin; a girl group of rats named Monica, Moira and Amy; a former prison pigeon named Al Capone; a bearded dragon named Muffy; and a dog named Maverick.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 5 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confinement. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on confinement

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster