captivity
/kæpˈtɪvɪti/ noun
Forms captivities
- noun The state of being captive. “held in captivity”
- noun (obsolete) A group of people/beings captive.
- noun The state or period of being imprisoned, confined, or enslaved. “long captivity”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English captivite, from Latin captīvitās. By surface analysis, captive + -ity. Entered into the English lexicon around the 14th century.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The state of being a captive or a prisoner.
- noun A state of being under control; subjection of the will or affections; bondage.
Etymology [L. captivitas: cf. F. captivité.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “captivity”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details