Skip to content

réclusion

imprisonment, solitary confinement

noun reh-kloo-ZYOHN Rare

Origin: Latin 'reclusio' (shutting away)

Also means

seclusion, reclusion

Usage Note

Réclusion in French law refers specifically to long-term imprisonment for serious crimes, as in réclusion criminelle ('criminal imprisonment'), which can be imposed for a fixed term or for life. It is more formal than emprisonnement. The verb reclure ('to shut away') is rarely used; reclus ('recluse') is its more common derivative.

Examples

"Il a été condamné à la réclusion."

Natural Translation

He was sentenced to imprisonment.

Explore French by topic