noun

captivity

kap-TIH-vih-tee

noun

The state of being held prisoner or kept confined.

"The tigers were born in captivity and had never hunted in the wild."

"He described the years he spent in captivity after being taken hostage."

How to Use Captivity

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBeing kept prisoner or locked up, unable to go free.

Common pairings

held in captivity bred in captivity years of captivity

captivities plural

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The tigers were born in _____ and had never hunted in the wild.

From Latin captivitas, built on captivus, "prisoner" — from the same root as "captive" and "capture."

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