verb
intern
To confine someone during war or a political emergency.
The authorities intern the prisoners during the war.
Etymology
The verb is associated with keeping someone within a defined area. Internment applies that confinement to people detained during war or a political emergency.
More examples
- He was interned in a camp far from home.
- The policy interned civilians without ordinary trials.
- The report examined where the detainees had been interned.
Forms
intern · interns · interned · interning
internment noun — confinement during war or an emergency