noun
entrapment
ihn-TRAP-muhnt
noun
1
The act of luring someone, especially by police, into committing a crime so they can be arrested for it.
"The defense argued that the sting operation amounted to entrapment."
2
The state of being trapped.
"She described a feeling of entrapment in her unhappy marriage."
How to Use Entrapment
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually a legal term for police tricking someone into breaking the law; also used more generally for a feeling of being trapped.
Common pairings
a defense of entrapment
claim entrapment
Word Forms
entrapments plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “entrapment”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The defense argued that the sting operation amounted to _____.
Etymology
From "entrap" plus the suffix "-ment," forming a noun describing the act or result.