noun
captivity
kap-TIV-uh-tee/kæpˈtɪvəti/
The state of being held without freedom to leave.
The locked cell door keeps the older man in captivity.
Etymology
The pieces describe the condition of someone taken prisoner. Captivity names the continuing state of confinement, rather than the act of catching or seizing someone.
In context
Captured by the Russians, most are held in captivity in the Soviet Union, then in France, before being amnestied in the 1950s.
More examples
- The prisoner describes his long captivity.
- Some species reproduce poorly in captivity.
- The hostages finally emerge from captivity.
Forms
captivity · captivities
Similar words
- confinement
- Emphasizes restricted space without necessarily capture.
- imprisonment
- Usually means official detention in a prison.