Synonyms

solitary confinement

American

[sol-i-ter-ee kuhn-fahyn-muhnt] / ˈsɒl ɪˌtɛr i kənˈfaɪn mənt /

noun

the confinement of a prisoner in a cell or other place in which they are completely isolated from others.

solitary confinement British

noun

isolation imposed on a prisoner, as by confinement in a special cell

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of solitary confinement

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yoon has been held in solitary confinement while fighting multiple criminal trials.

From Barron's

For the last five years, he has been held in solitary confinement at a maximum security prison - a detention his son believes is causing his health to "tremendously suffer".

From BBC

He is in ill health and has spent most of the last five years in solitary confinement, the lone window fixed to block sunlight.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lai’s lawyers say he has several chronic health conditions and suffers from being in solitary confinement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lai was kept in solitary confinement at his own request to avoid harassment, prosecutors said.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023