Meaning & use
internment
Last updated
UK/ɪnˈtɜːnmənt/
US/ɪnˈtɝːnmənt/
Meaning
noununcountable
The holding of people in confinement, usually in wartime or for political reasons, without putting them on trial.
Grammar: No plural and no 'an': the internment of civilians.
Patterns
- the internment of someone
- internment without trial
The internment of civilians during the war is widely criticized today.
Many families lost their homes during their internment.
Common combinations
- internment camp
- The family was held in an internment camp.
- internment without trial
- The law allowed internment without trial.
- wartime internment
- She wrote about her wartime internment.
- mass internment
- Mass internment shocked the world.
Synonyms and how they differ
- detention
- Detention is broader and can follow arrest for any reason, not just group confinement.
- imprisonment
- Imprisonment usually follows a court sentence.
- confinement
- Confinement is the general state of being kept in a place.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: internment or interment?
internment vs interment
Interment means burial of a body, while internment means confinement of living people.
Practice
'Internment' means
Choose one answer.
Internment is confinement, often in wartime, without trial. 'Interment' (burial) is the similar-sounding word, and 'internship' is a work placement.
Make it your own
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