entrapment

[en-trap-muhnt]

noun

1. Law.,  the luring by a law-enforcement agent of a person into committing a crime.

   Defense lawyers in cases involving sting operations often accuse the F.B.I. of entrapment.

2. an act or process of entrapping.

   Depth filters consist of pressed fibers, which use entrapment to remove suspended particles and prevent clogging.

3. a state of being entrapped.

   nerve entrapment;

   sea turtle entrapment.

Word History and Origins

Origin of entrapment¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; entrap + -ment

Example Sentences

Officials said that "multiple people are dead" and that there are "multiple entrapments, and multiple injuries".

From BBC

Protagonist Lena escapes patriarchal entrapment by joining forces with a close friend, Hedy, and fleeing to a beachside encampment of “feral” women.

From Los Angeles Times

For Kentridge, attachment to a great idea can lead to entrapment, closing your mind to other, unthought-of fertile ideas.

From Los Angeles Times

Themes of entrapment, unrequited love and loss penetrate the screen, with Lachman conveying the narrative through a bespoke aesthetic captured on different celluloid formats.

From Los Angeles Times

Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, argued that Lin’s conviction was a case of entrapment by the Chinese government.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• imbroglio 
• liaison