captivity
Americannoun
plural
captivities-
the state or period of being held, imprisoned, enslaved, or confined.
- Synonyms:
- incarceration, confinement, imprisonment, subjection, thralldom, slavery, servitude, bondage
- Antonyms:
- freedom
-
(initial capital letter) Babylonian captivity.
noun
-
the condition of being captive; imprisonment
-
the period of imprisonment
Other Word Forms
- precaptivity noun
- semicaptivity noun
Etymology
Origin of captivity
1275–1325; Middle English captivite (< Old French ) < Latin captīvitās. See captive, -ity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unmentioned, the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great, still revered by Iranians, was the first world leader to grant freedom to the Jews, liberating them from captivity in Babylon.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
The voice, exuberant and straightforward for Churchill the small child, matures as he weathers the frustrations of schooling, survives war and captivity in South Africa, and steps onto the floor of Parliament in 1901.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
During the trial, the court also heard that, for the length of K's captivity, Wixon claimed benefits on her behalf.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
Five years later, all the remaining wild condors were captured and bred in captivity to try to stave off extinction.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
It was like a page torn from a book, a historical novel, perhaps, dealing with the captivity in Babylon or the Spanish Inquisition.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
