internment

UK: /ɪnˈtɜː^rnmənt/ US: (in tûrn′mənt)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•tern•ment  (in tûrn′mənt), n. 

1. an act or instance of interning.
2. the state of being interned;
   confinement.

• intern¹ + -ment 1865–70

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

internment / ɪnˈtɜːnmənt/ noun

1. the act of interning or state of being interned, esp of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects
2. (as modifier): an internment camp

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•tern¹ /ɪnˈtɜrn/   v. [~ + object]

1. to imprison or keep (someone) within certain limits, as prisoners of war or enemy aliens.

in•tern•ment, n. [uncountable]

in•tern² /ˈɪntɜrn/   n. [countable]

1. Medicine a resident member of the medical staff of a hospital, usually a recent medical school graduate, serving as a trainee under the supervision of a fully qualified doctor.
2. anyone working as a trainee, (sometimes without pay) to gain practical experience in an occupation.

v. [no object]

3. to serve as an intern:
   journalism students interning on a newspaper.

in•tern•ship, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•tern¹  (v. in tûrn′;n. in′tûrn), v.t. 

1. to restrict to or confine within prescribed limits, as prisoners of war, enemy aliens, or combat troops who take refuge in a neutral country.
2. to impound or hold within a country until the termination of a war, as a ship of a belligerent that has put into a neutral port and remained beyond a limited period.

n. 

3. a person who is or has been interned;
   internee.

• French interner, verb, verbal derivative of interne intern³
• 1865–70

in•tern²  (in′tûrn), n. Also, interne. 

1. Medicine a resident member of the medical staff of a hospital, usually a recent medical school graduate serving under supervision.
2. Education See student teacher. 
3. a person who works as an apprentice or trainee in an occupation or profession to gain practical experience, and sometimes also to satisfy legal or other requirements for being licensed or accepted professionally.

v.i. 

4. to be or perform the duties of an intern.

• Latin internus intern³
• French interne
• 1875–80, American.

in•tern³  (in tûrn′), adj. [Archaic.]

1. internal.

• Latin internus inward, equivalent. to inter- inter- + -nus adjective, adjectival suffix; see extern
• 1570–80