Spanish word

encierro

Pronunciation

IPA/enˈθjero/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlockdown

Example

Hubo un encierro en la estación y no pudimos salir.

There was a lockdown at the station and we couldn't get out.

Illustration for encierro (lockdown)

More examples

Durante la pandemia, impusieron un encierro domiciliario en la ciudad.

During the pandemic, they imposed a home confinement in the city.

Core concept

Confinement within a sealed space.

Common phrases

  • encierro domiciliario

    home confinement

  • medidas de encierro

    lockdown measures

Similar words

confinamiento: Restriction of movement within a defined area, imposed for safety or control.
aislamiento: Separation from others with no physical contact, kept apart socially or physically.
detención: Being held by authorities under arrest, with legal limits on freedom.
sentada: A sit-in protest where participants sit in place and refuse to leave.

Definition in Spanish

Expresa el permanecer cerrado o el hecho de mantener a alguien o algo dentro de un espacio, ya sea por fuerza o de forma voluntaria, como en ocupaciones y protestas.

Word origin

The term is built from encerrar, with en- meaning 'in' and cerrar meaning 'to close', and thus it denotes the action or condition of being closed in.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Spanish encierro can mean isolation or imprisonment in news contexts, but when used as el encierro it can specifically mean the running of the bulls.

Other meanings

  • isolationnoun
  • imprisonmentnoun
  • running of the bullsnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • encerrarconfineverb
  • encerradoconfinedadjective
  • encerramientoisolationnoun

Word lists with this word