captivity

noun

cap·​tiv·​i·​ty kap-ˈti-və-tē How to pronounce captivity (audio)
1
: the state of being captive
some birds thrive in captivity
2
obsolete : a group of captives

Examples of captivity in a Sentence

The prisoners were released from captivity. the wildlife refuge raises endangered species in captivity and then releases them into the wild
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
There are 59 hostages still in Gaza, at least 24 of whom are assessed to be alive, including American-Israeli Edan Alexander, now 21 years old after having spent two birthdays in Hamas captivity. Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025 Keith Siegel is a 65-year-old American-Israeli who survived 484 days in Hamas captivity after being abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7, 2023. Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025 Joe finishes the manuscript Beck wrote in captivity and sends it to a publisher, giving her posthumous fame and success while pinning his crimes on Dr. Nicky. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2025 Zelenskyy said 277 Ukrainians have returned home from Russian captivity. Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for captivity

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of captivity was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Captivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/captivity. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

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