Definition of internmentnext
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined the internment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II is one of the more shameful chapters in United States history

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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 internment Though ostracized in their time, people who resisted internment are now seen as civil-rights pioneers. Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 The Chinese government launched a brutal crackdown in Xinjiang starting in 2017, sweeping a million or more Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnicities into prisons and internment camps. ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026 Previous seasons of The Terror focused on (first) a British naval expedition stuck in the ice while searching for the Northwest Passage and (second) haunting events in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026 Season 5 begins with Hughie, Frenchie (Tomer Capone) and Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) imprisoned in one of Vought’s internment camps, with Homelander set to execute them. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for internment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for internment
Noun
  • There was only one name on the list from Washington County, a young man who had been killed while in captivity.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
  • In captivity, the big cats can live 15 to 20 years.
    Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • The Alternative Programs offers no-cash-bail alternatives to incarceration for youth and adult non-violent offenders in South Florida.
    Najahe Sherman, CBS News, 12 May 2026
  • Such families are common in Appalachia, where poverty and incarceration rates are high, and the effects of the opioid crisis linger across successive generations.
    Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • This personal and profound odyssey follows basketball star Brittney Griner from her playing career and harrowing imprisonment in Russia through the extraordinary geopolitical battle to secure her freedom.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
  • The Chinese natives are currently incarcerated at the Ventura County Main Jail and the Todd Road Jail, respectively, and face up to four years’ imprisonment followed by two years of probation.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • She likely won’t be sentenced until fall (possibly close to the general election) but will — again, just a likely here — at best face home confinement and at worst more than three years in prison.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
  • Taylor also mentioned harsh conditions during Chkhikvishvili's nearly yearlong confinement in Moldova, where he was arrested in 2024 on an international warrant, according to his letter to the judge.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Her foundation said she has been granted a prison sentence suspension on bail.
    Sarah el Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
  • Broderick was rushed from the California Institution for Women, the prison where she was being held, to a medical facility on April 18.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 10 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Internment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/internment. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

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