Entrapment
/ɪnˈtræp.mənt/noun
The act of tricking or catching someone, especially by deceit or a hidden setup.
Did you know?The core of *entrapment* is *trap*, a word that originally referred to a snare or device for catching animals, so the modern legal and psychological sense still carries the ancient logic of bait, capture, and concealed danger.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
træppe
“a snare or trap for catching animals”
Middle English
ME
trappe
“a snare, device for catching game”
Late Middle English
ME
entrappe(n)
“to catch in a trap; to ensnare”
16th Century
English
entrapment
“the act or condition of being trapped or ensnared”
Modern English
English
entrapment
“the act of inducing someone to commit an offense or the state of being caught by deception”