enfermé

Enfermé is a French term that functions as an adjective and as the past participle of enfermer. It describes someone or something that is kept inside, confined, or locked up. When used as a noun, un enfermé (masculine) or une enfermée (feminine) denotes a person who is confined, for example a prisoner or someone kept in a restricted state. The related noun enfermement denotes the state or act of being confined. The verb form enfermer means to lock up or to confine.

Etymology: enfermé derives from the verb enfermer, formed with the prefix en- added to fermer (to close or shut).

Usage: In everyday language, enfermé can describe physical confinement (a person enclosed in a room, a building, or a prison) or metaphorical isolation (an enfermement of someone in routine or in a restricted environment). The participle agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: un homme enfermé, une pièce enfermée, des lieux enfermés.

Examples: Il est enfermé dans sa chambre; La pièce est enfermée par des portes solides.

See also: confinement, privation de liberté, incarcération.