What does entrap mean?
Entrap is a verb meaning to catch or ensnare someone or something, especially through deception, trickery, or some other unfair means. Unlike plain 'trap', which can be neutral — a mousetrap traps mice without moral judgment — entrap usually implies that the catching is underhand or unjust. The word is perhaps best known from law: when undercover officers pressure or induce a person to commit a crime that person had no intention of committing, courts may find entrapment, and the case can be dismissed. Beyond the courtroom, entrap describes people caught in situations they cannot escape — workers entrapped by debt, civilians entrapped in a besieged city. It commonly appears in the passive ('he was entrapped'), and its noun form is entrapment. Formal in tone and frequent in journalism and legal writing, entrap is a useful word whenever you want to signal that a trap involved manipulation or bad faith rather than mere capture.
To catch or trap someone or something, especially by deceptive or unfair means.
"The con artist entrapped his victims with promises of guaranteed returns."
Often used in the passive voice; frequently implies moral criticism of whoever set the trap.
(Of police or their agents) To induce a person to commit a crime they would not otherwise have committed, in order to prosecute them.
"The judge dismissed the charges after finding that the officers had entrapped the defendant."
A technical term underlying the entrapment defense in many common-law jurisdictions.
If the police 'entrap' you, your case may collapse entirely — entrapment is one of the most famous legal defenses in the English-speaking world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of entrap
Entrap derives from the prefix en- (from French, ultimately Latin) combined with trap, a noun of Middle Low German or Old Norse origin that entered Middle English. The verb formed in English, with recorded use from around the late 16th or early 17th century. Its most prominent descendant is the legal term entrapment, which became established in American criminal law in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Related word forms
How entrap is actually used
Formal to neutral in register. The verb frequently appears in passive constructions ('was entrapped'). In legal contexts it carries a precise technical meaning tied to the entrapment defense, and using it loosely about police conduct can carry strong accusatory overtones.
Easily confused with entrap
Envelop means to surround or wrap completely, while entrap means to catch or snare someone, often deceptively.