captivity
Other forms: captivities
Captivity is the condition of being trapped or confined. Animals that are kept in zoos are in captivity.
A prisoner is in captivity, and a kidnapping victim is also in captivity. If you catch a firefly and keep it in a jar, its life will be one of captivity until you let it go. When you're imprisoned or enslaved, you're captive. Both words come from a Latin source, captivus, "caught" or "taken prisoner," from the root capere, "to take, hold, or seize."
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the state of being imprisoned“he was held in captivity until he died”synonyms: immurement, imprisonment, incarcerationtypes:duranceimprisonment (especially for a long time)life imprisonmenta sentence of imprisonment until deathinternmentconfinement during wartimetype of:confinementthe state of being confined
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the state of being a slave“"So every bondman in his own hand bears the power to cancel his captivity"--Shakespeare”synonyms: enslavement
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Vocabulary lists containing captivity
In this classic novel, a pig named Wilbur befriends a spider, who attempts to save his life.
As you read Act 1 of William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Macbeth," learn this word list. Here are links to lists for texts in Grade 10's Collection 5: Why Read Shakespeare?, Macbeth, Act 1, Macbeth, Act 2, Macbeth, Act 3, Macbeth, Act 4, Macbeth, Act 5, Holinshed's Chronicles, The Macbeth Murder Mystery