CAPTIVITY

enslavement, captivity

(noun) the state of being a slave; “So every bondman in his own hand bears the power to cancel his captivity”--Shakespeare

captivity, imprisonment, incarceration, immurement

(noun) the state of being imprisoned; “he was held in captivity until he died”; “the imprisonment of captured soldiers”; “his ignominious incarceration in the local jail”; “he practiced the immurement of his enemies in the castle dungeon”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

captivity (countable and uncountable, plural captivities)

The state of being captive.

(obsolete) A group of people/beings captive.

The state or period of being imprisoned, confined, or enslaved.

Source: Wiktionary


Cap*tiv"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. captivitas: cf. F. captivité.]

1. The state of being a captive or a prisoner. More celebrated in his captivity that in his greatest triumphs. Dryden.

2. A state of being under control; subjection of the will or affections; bondage. Sink in the soft captivity together. Addison.

Syn.

– Imprisonment; confinement; bondage; subjection; servitude; slavery; thralldom; serfdom.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.

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