entrapment: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Legal, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “entrapment” mean?
The action of deliberately tricking someone into committing a crime in order to secure their prosecution.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The action of deliberately tricking someone into committing a crime in order to secure their prosecution.
The state of being caught in a difficult or inescapable situation; more broadly, any act of trapping or ensnaring.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core legal meaning. The extended, psychological sense ('a sense of entrapment') is slightly more prevalent in American self-help and pop psychology discourse.
Connotations
In both varieties, the legal term is negatively charged, implying wrongdoing by the state. The metaphorical use also carries negative connotations of helplessness and confinement.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English due to more prominent public discussion of police tactics and legal TV dramas.
Grammar
How to Use “entrapment” in a Sentence
entrapment of [Person/Group]entrapment by [Agent, e.g., police]entrapment in [Situation/Crime]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “entrapment” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The officers were accused of attempting to entrap the suspect by offering him a large sum of money.
American English
- The agent denied the claim that he tried to entrap the activist.
adverb
British English
- Not standard. Use 'in an entrapping manner'.
American English
- Not standard. Use 'in an entrapping manner'.
adjective
British English
- The entrapment defence was rejected by the Crown Court.
American English
- The entrapment ruling set a new precedent for undercover operations.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; used metaphorically for restrictive contracts or monopolistic practices: 'The clause was viewed as commercial entrapment.'
Academic
Common in Law, Criminology, and Sociology papers discussing police ethics and judicial procedure.
Everyday
Mostly in its metaphorical sense: 'After years in the same job, she felt a sense of entrapment.'
Technical
Strictly legal: a specific affirmative defence in criminal law where the defendant claims the idea for the crime originated with law enforcement.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “entrapment”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “entrapment”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “entrapment”
- Using 'entrapment' to mean any arrest (it requires an element of inducement/trickery).
- Confusing it with 'framing' (which involves planting false evidence *after* a crime, whereas entrapment induces the crime *itself*).
- Misspelling as 'intrapment'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in many jurisdictions, including the UK and US, evidence obtained via entrapment is inadmissible, and it is a valid legal defence that can lead to charges being dismissed.
A sting operation typically targets individuals already predisposed to commit a crime, providing an opportunity. Entrapment occurs when law enforcement induces a person, not predisposed, to commit a crime they otherwise would not have committed.
Yes, but it's metaphorical. You can talk about 'emotional entrapment' or 'financial entrapment,' meaning a feeling or state of being trapped. The core negative connotation of being unfairly caught remains.
The verb is 'to entrap.' It is a regular verb (entrap, entrapped, entrapping).
The action of deliberately tricking someone into committing a crime in order to secure their prosecution.
Entrapment is usually formal, legal, journalistic in register.
Entrapment: in British English it is pronounced /ɪnˈtræpmənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɪnˈtræpmənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's a classic entrapment.”
- “Cry entrapment (to claim it as a defence).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TRAP with the prefix EN- (meaning 'to put into'). Entrapment is the process of putting someone INTO a TRAP, often a legal one.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE IS A FAIR GAME / CRIME IS A TRAP. Entrapment metaphorically frames law enforcement as an unfair hunter who creates the prey (the crime) rather than catching natural offenders.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'entrapment' used with its most precise and technical meaning?