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reclusione

imprisonment

noun reh-kloo-zyoh-NEH Rare
People & Society Crime

Origin: From Latin reclusio, 'a shutting up', from recludere.

Also means

confinement, seclusion

Usage Note

Reclusione in legal Italian is the formal term for custodial imprisonment, distinct from arresto (arrest) and detenzione (detention). Sentences are typically expressed as condannato a cinque anni di reclusione (sentenced to five years' imprisonment). It can also describe voluntary seclusion, as in monastic life (vita di reclusione), though this usage is rarer.

Examples

"È stato condannato a tre anni di reclusione."

Natural Translation

He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.

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