internment

noun

in-ˈtərn-mənt How to pronounce internment (audio)
Definition of internmentnext
as in captivity
the act of confining or the state of being confined the internment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II is one of the more shameful chapters in United States history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of internment Aliens land in Johannesburg in 1982 seeking refuge, but instead they're crammed into an internment camp called District 9. — Grace Dean, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Some members of their extended family served in the military during World War II; others were sent to internment camps. — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 The facility is the country's largest detention center, which sits on land formerly used for Japanese-American internment camps during World War II. — Catherine Bouvet, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 While the boys were raised in Hiroshima, their parents and new baby brother were sent to an internment camp in Poston, Arizona, as the fighting continued. — Rina Nakano, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for internment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for internment
  1. captivity
  2. incarceration
  3. imprisonment
  4. confinement
  5. prison
Noun
  • But their local expertise, connections, courage, and instincts could stave off death or captivity.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Regev directly countered Piker's claims about the October 7 attacks by delivering a harrowing eyewitness account of her captivity in Gaza.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of captivity
Noun
  • Those with misdemeanors can vote or if the person has an unsentenced status with no prior felony conviction unless voting rights have been restored following the release from incarceration for the felony conviction.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The first half of Fielder and Oppenheim’s film chronicles the 34 days leading up to the incarceration of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of the blood-testing technology company Theranos.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of incarceration
Noun
  • According to the church, Wang's family has been permitted fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.
    — Mitch Picasso, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • For some, the potential release of thousands of prisoners doesn’t go far enough to repair the damage of their prolonged imprisonment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of imprisonment
Noun
  • As such, it could be easily exported to describe Jewish quarters elsewhere—and eventually adapted to describe sites of confinement or exclusion the world over.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In the 1925 novel, the appearance of fledglings symbolizes freedom, confinement and even spiritual rebirth, themes that follow lead characters Clarissa and Sally (whom Edebiri portrays) as the story unfolds.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of confinement
Noun
  • The 911 call recordings, as reported by the Associated Press, showed that first responders and prison officials did not know whether a request for emergency help from within the execution chamber was legitimate.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Eady-Williams sentenced Pham and Salerno to life in prison without possibility of parole for the murder charges.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of prison

Browse Nearby Words

internists
internment
internments
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Internment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/internment. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All