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cautividad

captivity

noun kow-tee-bee-DAHD Rare

Origin: Latin captivitas, from captivus (prisoner)

Usage Note

Cautividad describes the state of being held captive — used for both animals (animales en cautividad, animals in captivity) and people (años de cautividad, years of captivity). The related adjective cautivo and noun cautiverio (captivity, captive state) are close synonyms, with cautiverio slightly more literary.

Examples

"Los animales nacidos en cautividad raramente sobreviven en la naturaleza."

Natural Translation

Animals born in captivity rarely survive in the wild.

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