Meaning & use
captivity
The state of being imprisoned or confined, especially against one's will or removed from a natural habitat.
See it in a sentence
The wolves paced restlessly, clearly unhappy after years spent in captivity.
The hostages endured months of captivity before negotiators finally secured their release.
A note on using this word
Captivity applies to both people held prisoner and animals kept in zoos, unlike 'imprisonment,' which usually implies legal punishment.
Words with a similar meaning
confinementimprisonment
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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