Αγγλικά

confinement

gb/kənfˈaɪnmənt/ us/kənfˈaɪnmənt/
B2 Αγγλικά
~ 7100
Σημασίες
0 σημασίες
Ουσιαστικό formal B2 state
1

imprisonment or official detention

The state of being kept in prison or another locked place by the police or government, usually as punishment.

Μοτίβο χρήσης: be in confinement / place [someone] in confinement
Συχνό λάθος:
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.
Συνώνυμα
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.)
Αντώνυμα
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.)
Συνδυασμοί λέξεων
solitary confinement |in confinement |close confinement |years of confinement |released from confinement
Θέματα
law |crime |politics
Παραδείγματα
  • The journalist spent three months in confinement before the court finally cleared her name.
  • After the riot, several inmates were placed in confinement for their role in the violence.
  • 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.
Παραδείγματα για μαθητές
  • The prisoner was kept in confinement for ten years.
  • He was put in confinement after the trial.
  • 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.
Ουσιαστικό B2 state
2

state of restricted movement

A situation where a person or animal must stay in one place or a small space and cannot move around freely.

Μοτίβο χρήσης: be in confinement / long periods of confinement
Συχνό λάθος:
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.
Συνώνυμα
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).)
Αντώνυμα
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.)
Συνδυασμοί λέξεων
home confinement |long periods of confinement |strict confinement |confinement indoors |kept in confinement
Θέματα
daily life |health |emotions |daily_life
Παραδείγματα
  • Months of home confinement during the pandemic had a serious impact on many people's mental health.
  • The animal rights group argued that keeping the tigers in such small cages was cruel confinement.
  • 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.
Παραδείγματα για μαθητές
  • The long confinement at home made him feel very lonely.
  • The dog became stressed after days of confinement in a small room.
  • 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.
Ουσιαστικό archaic C1 event
3

time of childbirth and recovery

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.

Μοτίβο χρήσης: during her confinement / after her confinement
Συχνό λάθος:
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.
Συνώνυμα
childbirth (More common modern word; focuses on the act of giving birth, while "confinement" also includes the resting period around it.)
Αντώνυμα
pregnancy (Refers to the period before birth; in older texts, "pregnancy" ends when "confinement" begins, so they mark opposite stages in time.)
Συνδυασμοί λέξεων
her confinement |during her confinement |before her confinement |after her confinement
Θέματα
family |health |body
Παραδείγματα
  • In the old novel, she is described as weak and pale during her confinement.
  • Historically, women from wealthy families often spent weeks in bed after their confinement.
  • 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.
Παραδείγματα για μαθητές
  • In some old books, a woman stays in bed during her confinement.
  • The word "confinement" for birth is not common in modern English.
  • 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."
Ουσιαστικό technical C2 state
4

containment of particles or plasma

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.

Μοτίβο χρήσης: achieve good confinement / improve confinement of [particles]
Συχνό λάθος:
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).
Συνώνυμα
containment (A more general technical word; "confinement" is often used in specific physics fields such as plasma or particle physics.)
Αντώνυμα
escape (Refers to particles or energy leaving the region where they were confined, the opposite of successful confinement.)
Συνδυασμοί λέξεων
magnetic confinement |plasma confinement |quark confinement |energy confinement time
Θέματα
science |technology
Παραδείγματα
  • Magnetic confinement is a key challenge in the development of fusion reactors.
  • Researchers are working to improve plasma confinement times in experimental tokamaks.
  • 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.
Παραδείγματα για μαθητές
  • Fusion power needs very strong confinement of hot plasma.
  • Scientists study confinement of particles in special machines.
  • 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.
Γραμματική
Λημματική μορφή
confinement
IPA
GB/kənfˈaɪnmənt/
US/kənfˈaɪnmənt/
Συλλαβές και τόνος
con - fine - ment (3 συλλαβές)
Stress on 2nd syllable (fine)
Τύποι λέξης
Noun
  • Base: confinement
  • Plural: confinement, confinements
Οικογένεια λέξεων
Forms
confinements noun
Core family
confine verb B1 confined adjective
Related words
confining adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unconfined adjective
Εκφράσεις

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.

Παραδείγματα
  • 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.

Παραδείγματα
  • 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.

Παραδείγματα
  • 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.

Παραδείγματα
  • 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.

Παραδείγματα
  • 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.

Παραδείγματα
  • The suspect was placed in solitary confinement for his own protection.
  • Solitary confinement can cause mental health problems.

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