English Meaning & Definitions
The state of being strongly attracted, interested, or charmed by something or someone.
- “The audience watched the magician with total captivation, unable to look away from his sleight of hand.”
- “Her captivation with the culture of Japan began after she read her first haiku.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “captivation”.
Derived from the Latin 'captivatio', from 'captivare' (to take captive), which stems from 'captus', the past participle of 'capere' (to take or seize). Originally implying physical capture, the term evolved in the 17th century to describe the metaphorical 'seizing' of someone's attention or affection.
Think of being 'captured' by a story; your attention is held prisoner by the interest of the subject.
Frequently Asked Questions About “captivation”
1. What is the meaning of “captivation” in English?
In English, captivation (noun) is defined as: “The state of being strongly attracted, interested, or charmed by something or someone.”.
2. How do you use “captivation” in a sentence?
“The audience watched the magician with total captivation, unable to look away from his sleight of hand.”
3. What are English synonyms of “captivation”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “captivation”?
Derived from the Latin 'captivatio', from 'captivare' (to take captive), which stems from 'captus', the past participle of 'capere' (to take or seize). Originally implying physical capture, the term evolved in the 17th century to describe the metaphorical 'seizing' of someone's attention or affection.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.