confinement
imprisonment or official detention
The state of being kept in prison or another locked place by the police or government, usually as punishment.
be in confinement / place [someone] in confinement
- 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.
- 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.
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.
be in confinement / long periods of confinement
- 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.
- 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.
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.
during her confinement / after her confinement
- 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.
- 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."
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.
achieve good confinement / improve confinement of [particles]
- 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.
- 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.
- Base: confinement
- Plural: confinement, confinements
close confinement
1very strict physical restriction
A situation where a person or animal must stay in a very small space and has almost no freedom to move.
- 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
1official 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.
- 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
1in a state of imprisonment
Kept in prison or another locked place and not allowed to go free.
- 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
1time 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.
- 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
1being 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.
- 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
2Prison isolation punishment
When someone in prison is kept alone in a cell as punishment or for safety.
- The suspect was placed in solitary confinement for his own protection.
- Solitary confinement can cause mental health problems.