captivity
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”
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synonyms:
immurement, imprisonment, incarceration
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types:
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durance
imprisonment (especially for a long time)
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life imprisonment
a sentence of imprisonment until death
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internment
confinement during wartime
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type of:
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confinement
the state of being confined
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durance
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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”
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synonyms:
enslavement
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type of:
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subjection, subjugation
forced submission to control by others
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subjection, subjugation
Vocabulary lists containing captivity
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