Captivity
/kæpˈtɪvɪti/
nounIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
The condition of being held prisoner or confined.
/kæpˈtɪvɪti/
nounnegativeIntermediate
General
State of being imprisoned or confined
He endured years of captivity.
💡 Simply: Being kept prisoner.
More Examples
2
Their captivity ended with the war's conclusion.
How It's Used
Historical
"The years of captivity had changed him profoundly."
Political
"The prisoner's release from captivity was a major political event."
From Middle English captivite, from Old French captivite, from Latin captivitas, from captivus "captive."
The word has been used since the Middle Ages to describe the state of being held prisoner, often in a war context.
Memory tip
Think of a 'cap' keeping someone trapped.
Practice
Base: captive
captivityecaptivety
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written