confinement
gb/kənfˈaɪnmənt/ us/kənfˈaɪnmənt/
B2
English
~ 7100
fogva tartás, bezártság, gyermekágy, összetartás, bezárás, konfinement
NOUN
B2
FORMAL
1
fogva tartás
B2
Usage pattern:
be in confinement / place [someone] in confinement
The journalist spent three months in confinement before the court finally cleared her name.
Az újságírónő három hónapot töltött fogva tartásban, mire a bíróság végre tisztázta a nevét.
After the riot, several inmates were placed in confinement for their role in the violence.
A zavargás után több rabot elzárásba helyeztek az erőszakban játszott szerepük miatt.
He sued the state, claiming that his years of solitary confinement amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
The report described the conditions of confinement in overcrowded local jails.
Military confinement can be ordered for soldiers who refuse lawful commands.
Learner examples
The prisoner was kept in confinement for ten years.
A foglyot tíz évig tartották fogva.
He was put in confinement after the trial.
A tárgyalás után fogságba került.
She fears she will die in confinement if she is sent back to that prison.
The judge ordered confinement instead of a fine.
He hopes to gain his freedom after many years of confinement.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *confinement* when they mean a general limit or rule, where *restriction* or *limit* would be better (e.g., saying "speed confinement" instead of "speed limit"). They may also confuse *confinement* (usually uncountable in this sense) with *a prison* (countable): say "He was kept in confinement," not "He was kept in a confinement" when you mean the general state of imprisonment.
Meaning
imprisonment or official detention
Collocations
solitary confinement
|in confinement
|close confinement
|years of confinement
|released from confinement
Synonyms
imprisonment (The most direct legal term; very close in meaning but slightly more common in everyday news than "confinement" on its own.)
|
detention (Broader and slightly less strong; can refer to being held by authorities without necessarily being in a long-term prison sentence.)
Antonyms
freedom (Highlights the lack of physical and legal restriction that exists when someone is not imprisoned.)
|
release (Refers specifically to the act or state of being set free from confinement or imprisonment.)
Themes
law
|crime
|politics
Definition
The state of being kept in prison or another locked place by the police or government, usually as punishment.
The state of being kept in prison or another secure place by authorities, especially as punishment or while awaiting trial.
NOUN
B2
2
bezártság
B2
Usage pattern:
be in confinement / long periods of confinement
Months of home confinement during the pandemic had a serious impact on many people's mental health.
A világjárvány alatti, hónapokig tartó otthoni bezártság sok ember mentális egészségére súlyos hatással volt.
The animal rights group argued that keeping the tigers in such small cages was cruel confinement.
Az állatvédő csoport szerint kegyetlen bezártságot jelentett a tigrisek ilyen kis ketrecekben tartása.
For people in wheelchairs, social events that involve long confinement in one seat can be exhausting.
The astronaut described the psychological challenges of confinement on a small spacecraft.
After surgery, she found the confinement to her bedroom harder than the pain itself.
Learner examples
The long confinement at home made him feel very lonely.
A hosszú otthoni bezártság miatt nagyon magányosnak érezte magát.
The dog became stressed after days of confinement in a small room.
A kis szobában töltött többnapos bezártságtól a kutya stresszes lett.
She did not enjoy the confinement of working in a tiny office.
Because of the storm, the children had two days of confinement indoors.
He hates the confinement of long plane trips.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse *confinement* for everyday small limits (e.g., "the confinement of school rules"), where native speakers would normally say *restrictions* or *rules*. *Confinement* usually suggests a stronger, more physical limit on movement, lasting for some time.
Meaning
state of restricted movement
Collocations
home confinement
|long periods of confinement
|strict confinement
|confinement indoors
|kept in confinement
Synonyms
restriction (General word for limits; does not always imply physical space, while "confinement" strongly suggests limited space or movement.)
|
isolation (Focuses more on being separated from people; "confinement" focuses more on the physical limits on movement, but the two often overlap (for example in quarantine).)
Antonyms
freedom of movement (Emphasizes the ability to go where you want, which confinement removes.)
|
mobility (Focuses on being able to move around easily, the opposite of being confined to a small space.)
Themes
daily life
|health
|emotions
|daily_life
Definition
A situation where a person or animal must stay in one place or a small space and cannot move around freely.
The state of being forced to stay in a limited space or indoors, with little or no freedom to move around or go outside.
NOUN
C1
ARCHAIC
3
gyermekágy
C1
Usage pattern:
during her confinement / after her confinement
In the old novel, she is described as weak and pale during her confinement.
A régi regényben gyermekágya idején gyengének és sápadtnak írják le.
Historically, women from wealthy families often spent weeks in bed after their confinement.
Történelmileg a tehetős családok női szülés után, a gyermekágy idején gyakran hetekig ágyban maradtak.
Medical care during a woman's confinement was very different a century ago.
The diary mentions that several visitors called during her confinement to see the baby.
She returned to social life only months after her confinement, which was unusual for the time.
Learner examples
In some old books, a woman stays in bed during her confinement.
Néhány régi könyvben a nő a gyermekágy idején ágyban marad.
The word "confinement" for birth is not common in modern English.
A „confinement” szó szülésre utaló használata a mai angolban nem gyakori.
Her confinement lasted several weeks, according to the old letter.
Doctors used to visit women at home during their confinement.
Today we usually say "childbirth" instead of "confinement."
Common mistake:
Learners may wrongly use this meaning in modern speech (e.g., "She is in confinement" to mean "She is in labor"). This sounds old-fashioned or confusing; use *in labor*, *giving birth*, or *after the birth* instead in contemporary English.
Meaning
time of childbirth and recovery
Collocations
her confinement
|during her confinement
|before her confinement
|after her confinement
Synonyms
childbirth (More common modern word; focuses on the act of giving birth, while "confinement" also includes the resting period around it.)
Antonyms
pregnancy (Refers to the period before birth; in older texts, "pregnancy" ends when "confinement" begins, so they mark opposite stages in time.)
Themes
family
|health
|body
Definition
An old word for the time when a woman has a baby and stays in bed or at home to rest before and after the birth.
The time when a woman gives birth and the short period afterward when she is expected to rest indoors; now mostly old-fashioned.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
achieve good confinement / improve confinement of [particles]
Magnetic confinement is a key challenge in the development of fusion reactors.
A mágneses összetartás kulcsfontosságú kihívás a fúziós reaktorok fejlesztésében.
Researchers are working to improve plasma confinement times in experimental tokamaks.
A kutatók azon dolgoznak, hogy növeljék a plazma összetartási idejét a kísérleti tokamakokban.
Quark confinement is a fundamental feature of quantum chromodynamics.
Poor confinement of the charged particles leads to significant energy losses.
The new design offers better confinement without greatly increasing the reactor size.
Learner examples
Fusion power needs very strong confinement of hot plasma.
A fúziós energiához a forró plazma nagyon erős összetartására van szükség.
Scientists study confinement of particles in special machines.
A tudósok speciális berendezésekben vizsgálják a részecskék bezárását.
Better confinement can make a fusion reactor more efficient.
Quark confinement means quarks cannot exist alone.
Magnetic fields are used for confinement in some reactors.
Common mistake:
Learners might confuse everyday "confinement" (prison, being stuck indoors) with this technical, physics use. In scientific writing, the meaning should be clear from context (e.g., words like *plasma*, *magnetic*, *quark* around it).
Meaning
containment of particles or plasma
Collocations
magnetic confinement
|plasma confinement
|quark confinement
|energy confinement time
Synonyms
containment (A more general technical word; "confinement" is often used in specific physics fields such as plasma or particle physics.)
Antonyms
escape (Refers to particles or energy leaving the region where they were confined, the opposite of successful confinement.)
Themes
science
|technology
Definition
In physics, a situation where very small particles or hot gas are kept in one area and cannot get out, usually by strong forces or magnetic fields.
In physics, the condition in which particles, energy, or plasma are held within a limited region and prevented from escaping, often by fields or forces.
Grammar
Dictionary form
confinement
IPA
GB/kənfˈaɪnmənt/
US/kənfˈaɪnmənt/
Syllables & stress
con - fine - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fine)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: confinement
- Plural: confinement, confinements
Word family
Forms
confinements
noun
Core family
confine
verb B1
confined
adjective
Related words
confining
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unconfined
adjective
Expressions
close confinement
1/klˈoʊs kənfˈaɪnmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
very strict physical restriction
A situation where a person or animal must stay in a very small space and has almost no freedom to move.
Examples
- The animals had been kept in close confinement and showed signs of stress.
- Prisoners in close confinement are allowed out of their cells for only one hour a day.
home confinement
1/hˈoʊm kənfˈaɪnmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
official order to stay at home
A legal or official rule that a person must stay in their home and cannot go out, except maybe for special reasons like work or medical visits.
Examples
- Instead of jail time, the judge sentenced her to six months of home confinement.
- During the outbreak, many patients were placed under home confinement to stop the spread of the virus.
in confinement
1/ˈɪn kənfˈaɪnmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
in a state of imprisonment
Kept in prison or another locked place and not allowed to go free.
Examples
- He has been in confinement for over a year without trial.
- The report describes how political prisoners are kept in confinement with almost no human contact.
period of confinement
1/pˈɪɹiəd əv kənfˈaɪnmənt/
fixed phrase
archaic
time around childbirth with rest
An old phrase for the time when a woman gives birth and then stays at home to rest for some weeks.
Examples
- In the letters, she writes that her sister is recovering well after her period of confinement.
- The doctor visited regularly during her period of confinement to check on mother and baby.
solitary confinement
1/sˈɑlətˌɛɹi kənfˈaɪnmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
being imprisoned alone in a cell
A type of prison punishment where a person is kept alone in a small room and is not allowed to see or talk to other prisoners.
Examples
- The court ruled that holding juveniles in solitary confinement for long periods was unconstitutional.
- He spent six months in solitary confinement after attacking a guard.
solitary confinement
2/sˈɑlətˌɛɹi kənfˈaɪnmənt/
fixed phrase
Prison isolation punishment
When someone in prison is kept alone in a cell as punishment or for safety.
Examples
- The suspect was placed in solitary confinement for his own protection.
- Solitary confinement can cause mental health problems.