labor camp
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A penal institution for political prisoners who are used as forced labor: A "labor camp" is a detention facility where individuals, often political prisoners, are confined and compelled to perform hard physical work under harsh conditions, typically as a form of punishment or political repression.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The dissident was sent to a labor camp for criticizing the government.
- Historical accounts describe the brutal conditions within the labor camp.
- International organizations have condemned the use of labor camps.
Advanced Usage
- The term "labor camp" is often used in historical and political contexts to describe systems of punitive forced labor.
- The memoir detailed the author's survival in a Siberian labor camp.
Variants and Related Words
- Work camp: This term is sometimes used similarly but can have a broader or less severe connotation, potentially including non-penal work facilities.
- Forced labor camp: A more explicit variant emphasizing the compulsory nature of the work.
- Gulag: A specific historical term for the system of forced labor camps in the former Soviet Union.
Synonyms
- Penal colony: A settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general populace, often involving forced labor.
- Prison camp: A general term for a camp where prisoners are held, which may or may not involve forced labor.
Related Phrases
- Sent to the camps: An idiomatic phrase referring to being imprisoned in a system of labor or concentration camps.
- Those who opposed the regime risked being sent to the camps.
Notes on Meaning
- The primary and most specific meaning of "labor camp" refers to a facility for political prisoners subjected to forced labor. It carries strong connotations of political oppression, punishment, and human rights abuses. It is distinct from voluntary work programs or non-penal labor sites.
Noun
- a penal institution for political prisoners who are used as forced labor