noun

entrapment

/ɪnˈtræpmənt/ · say it: in·TRAP·muhnt

inducing someone to commit a crime they wouldn't have committed

In more detail

1. (noun) a situation where someone is tricked or forced into doing something illegal, especially by a police officer or agent who tempts them to commit a crime

2. (noun) the state of being trapped or caught, unable to escape

Examples

1. The defendant claimed entrapment, saying the undercover officer had pressured him into selling drugs.
2. The animal struggled against the entrapment of the net.

How to use entrapment

Entrapment has two main senses: the legal one (law enforcement inducing someone to commit a crime they wouldn't otherwise commit) and the broader metaphorical one (being trapped or caught in a situation). The legal sense is more technical and appears in court contexts, while the metaphorical sense is common in everyday language. It carries a strong sense of deception or coercion.

Common phrases

fall into entrapment
victim of entrapment
legal entrapment
avoid entrapment
entrapment defense

Synonyms

trap · snare · setup · frame-up · sting

Opposites

freedom · escape · liberation

Word family

entrap (verb) · entrapped (adjective) · entrapper (noun)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse entrapment with simply being caught committing a crime; legal entrapment specifically requires that the police or agent induced the person to commit the crime, not merely caught them doing it.

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