Meaning & use

internment

noun·Advanced

The imprisonment or confinement of a person or group, typically for political or wartime reasons, without a criminal trial.

See it in a sentence

Thousands of Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps during World War II.

The wartime internment of foreign nationals remains a controversial chapter in the country's history.

A note on using this word

Distinct from ordinary imprisonment because it does not follow a criminal conviction and often targets a whole group.

Words with a similar meaning

detentionconfinement

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