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 All of that has forced vulnerable people like Aguilar-Hurtado into extended confinement in county jails that are often ill-equipped to care for them. — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 The 80-year-old, who is in poor health and partially blind, will serve the remainder of his two life sentences in home confinement in North Dakota. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025 Isolation, confinement, and the pressures of high-stakes decision-making can weigh heavily on astronauts. — Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2025 Image Today, the American W.H.O. exit may raise the risk of the smallpox virus escaping confinement and reinfecting the world, some health experts say. — William J. Broad, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for confinement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confinement
  1. captivity
  2. restriction
  3. internment
  4. limitation
  5. incarceration
  6. prison
Noun
  • Though he was allowed to periodically shower, the captivity was otherwise severe.
    — Efrat Lachter, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025
  • There has been indisputable and overwhelming evidence that Hamas systematically steals the aid, and uses it to advance their military goals, including the ongoing captivity of hostages.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of captivity
Noun
  • Public-health guidelines are not scripture, and Americans will still find plenty of reason to debate when restrictions have gone too far, or when health officials have gotten the guidance wrong.
    — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The restrictions Ritchin describes relate mostly to photography’s troubling inability to illustrate what is outside the frame.
    — Emmanuel Iduma, ARTnews.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of restriction
Noun
  • But unlike in the US, where most of the internment camps were closed by the end of 1945, Japanese Canadians were kept from returning to British Columbia until 1949.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 16 Mar. 2025
  • During World War I, 6,000 German and other foreign nationals were placed in internment camps after President Woodrow Wilson invoked the act, according to the National Archives.
    — Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of internment
Noun
  • As the court case and investigation into the crash proceeds, Schaffer said the operator of the Stena Immaculate may file a limitation of liability in federal court in an effort to restrict its financial exposure.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
  • But Trump’s order may face limitations short of an act of Congress, which has through the years tried to shield the journalistic entities from political influence.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2025
Definition of limitation
Noun
  • My experience with Colorado law tells me this legislation will benefit both public safety and justice by ensuring that our law enforcement resources and taxpayer dollars are not wasted on unnecessary incarceration.
    — Jay Fisher, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
  • One of the key purposes of incarceration—aside from accountability—is to prepare individuals for their return to society.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of incarceration
Noun
  • Three days later, his immigration attorney was able to reach an ICE official who confirmed that his client was in a prison in another country.
    — Brian Bennett, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The Tate brothers were held in a Romanian prison until March 2023, when they were released on house arrest.
    — Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
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 26 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on confinement

Nglish: Translation of confinement for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about confinement

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