captivity

noun, plural cap·tiv·i·ties.

1. the state or period of being held, imprisoned, enslaved, or confined.
2. (initial capital letter) Babylonian captivity.

noun plural -ties

1. the condition of being captive; imprisonment
2. the period of imprisonment

n.

late 14c., Old French *captivite or directly from Latin captivitatem (nominative captivitas), from captivus (see captive (n.)). An Old English cognate word for it was gehæftnes (see haft).