captivity
gb/kæptˈɪvəti/ us/kæptˈɪvəti/
B2
Inglês
~ 6700
Aceções
0 aceções
Nome
B2
state
1
state of being kept prisoner
The state of not being free because someone keeps you in a place and will not let you go.
Padrão de uso:
[someone/something] is in captivity
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say *"in a captivity"* or *"in the captivity"*; usually the correct phrase is just *"in captivity" without an article. They may also confuse *"captivity"* (noun) with *"captive"* (adjective or noun), as in *"a captive animal"* or *"take someone captive".*
Sinónimos
imprisonment (Used more for legal situations with human prisoners; less commonly used for animals.)
|
confinement (General word for being kept in a limited space; can be physical or medical, not always forced like captivity.)
Antónimos
freedom (Emphasizes the complete absence of physical control or limits on movement.)
Colocações
in captivity
|held in captivity
|escape from captivity
|born in captivity
|bred in captivity
|release from captivity
Temas
crime
|law
|animals
Exemplos
- The hostages spent six months in captivity before they were rescued.
- Many zoo animals are born in captivity and have never lived in the wild.
- After ten years of captivity, the rare birds were finally released into their natural habitat.
- The rebels claimed responsibility for holding the journalist in captivity.
- The documentary compares the behavior of dolphins in captivity with those living in the open sea.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The soldiers were in captivity for a long time.
- These tigers live in captivity, not in the wild.
- The police freed the child from captivity.
- The animals looked sad in captivity.
- He wrote a book about his life in captivity.
Nome
literary
C1
state
2
state of being totally controlled
A situation where a strong feeling, idea, or power controls a person or group so much that they are not really free, like prisoners.
Padrão de uso:
the captivity of [emotion/force]
Erro comum:
Learners may try to use this figurative sense in very casual speech, where it can sound too strong or literary. In everyday conversation, words like *"control"*, *"addiction"*, or *"dependence"* are usually more natural than *"captivity"* in the figurative sense.
Sinónimos
bondage (Often used in religious or strongly figurative language for moral or emotional unfreedom.)
|
enslavement (Stronger and more emotional; suggests near-total loss of freedom, sometimes literal, sometimes figurative.)
Antónimos
liberation (Focuses on the act or process of being set free from control or oppression.)
Colocações
captivity of fear
|captivity of sin
|spiritual captivity
|mental captivity
Temas
emotions
|society
|politics
Exemplos
- The book describes humanity’s captivity to fear and ignorance.
- She felt in a kind of emotional captivity, unable to make her own choices.
- The movement called for an end to people’s spiritual captivity to materialism.
- He spoke about the captivity of the mind under strict censorship.
- The film shows workers slowly escaping the captivity of poverty and debt.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He lived in captivity to fear for many years.
- The leader helped people break their captivity to drugs.
- She wants to end her captivity to old, bad habits.
- The story is about mental captivity and how to find freedom.
- The speaker talked about our captivity to social media.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
captivity
IPA
GB/kæptˈɪvəti/
US/kæptˈɪvəti/
Sílabas e acento
cap - tiv - ity (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tiv)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: captivity
- Plural: captivity
Família de palavras
Expressões
escape from captivity
1/ɪskˈeɪp fɹˈʌm kæptˈɪvəti/
fixed phrase
get free after being captive
To manage to get away and become free after being kept as a prisoner or in a cage.
Exemplos
- The prisoners planned to escape from captivity during the night.
- Three rare wolves escaped from captivity after a storm damaged their enclosure.
- He finally escaped from captivity after five long years.
held in captivity
1/hˈɛld ˈɪn kæptˈɪvəti/
fixed phrase
kept as prisoner by others
Used to say that someone keeps a person or animal as a prisoner and does not let them go.
Exemplos
- The aid workers were held in captivity for over a year.
- Several hostages are still being held in captivity by the group.
- The documentary shows animals held in captivity in poor conditions.
in captivity
1/ˈɪn kæptˈɪvəti/
fixed phrase
while being kept as prisoner
Used to say that a person or animal is kept in a place and not free to leave.
Exemplos
- The pandas have lived in captivity since they were rescued as cubs.
- Only a few of these birds still survive in captivity.
- He described the harsh conditions the soldiers faced in captivity.
release from captivity
1/ɹilˈis fɹˈʌm kæptˈɪvəti/
fixed phrase
let a captive go free
To allow a person or animal to go free after they have been kept as a prisoner or in a cage.
Exemplos
- The government negotiated the release from captivity of the foreign hostages.
- Several animals were prepared for release from captivity into the wild.
- After her release from captivity, she struggled to return to normal life.