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confinement

noun

kən-ˈfīn-mənt How to pronounce confinement (audio)
Definition of confinementnext
1
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined some wild animals take to confinement very poorly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 The counterculture promised liberation from such confinement. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026 Judge Kimberly Gallant said he must be fitted with an ankle monitor before his release and will then spend his time in home confinement. — Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Type One Energy’s approach is built around stellarator confinement. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026 But the years of confinement began to take their toll physically. — Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confinement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confinement
  1. captivity
  2. restriction
  3. internment
  4. limitation
  5. imprisonment
  6. incarceration
  7. prison
Noun
  • The last thylacine living in captivity died from exposure in 1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania — shortly after the Tasmanian government belatedly granted the species protected status.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • According to the Corps, an estimated 600 Azov brigade servicemen are among the thousands still in Russian captivity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of captivity
Noun
  • The court ruled late Monday in an emergency order that the restrictions would most likely lose in court, at least for this year's election.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Chinese authorities imposed new restrictions on foreign travel in order to stop cutting-edge technology and top-flight researchers from leaving, taking a step closer to a regime that had characterized a more closed-off China of decades past.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of restriction
Noun
  • Aliens land in Johannesburg in 1982 seeking refuge, but instead they're crammed into an internment camp called District 9.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Matsui’s response centered on her family’s history in a Japanese internment camp.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of internment
Noun
  • That experience has given us a close look at both the promise and the limitations of the Portuguese model.
    — Karyn Sporer, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Risk officers, product managers and executives should understand AI capabilities, limitations and governance implications.
    — Peter Smulovics, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of limitation
Noun
  • Indecent exposure to a minor under the age of 15 is also a Class 6 felony, resulting in a Class 6 felony as well, which is a far more serious crime resulting in imprisonment in state or federal prison.
    — Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • During her imprisonment, Stötzer refused to leave the GDR for West Germany under the Häftlingsfreikauf program, which offered ransoms for political prisoners.
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of imprisonment
Noun
  • That, and the at-arm’s-length care of the staff (who are sometimes comedically cold), makes existence within the ward feel like a close cousin to incarceration.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For generations, the women sustain a world of warmth and care amid what Fleetwood calls a family curse, as the men’s lives are beset by mass incarceration and rampant gun violence.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of incarceration
Noun
  • This allegation makes Nick eligible for life in prison without parole or the death penalty if convicted.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The government is asking him to serve 18 months in prison, and had an initial sentencing date of May 26.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of prison

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confined
confinement
confinements
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Cite this Entry

“Confinement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confinement. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on confinement

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about confinement

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