incommunicadoadj.

1844 G. W. Kendall Narr. Santa Fé Exped. II. 255 Now that I was incomunicado—now that all intercourse with my friends was cut off,..my situation became irksome in the extreme.

1911 R. H. Davis Once upon a Time 57 I asked the official concerning Judge Rojas. ‘Oh, yes,’ he said readily. ‘He is still incomunicado.’

1934 J. M. Cain Postman always rings Twice x. 104 They can hold you forty eight hours incommunicado.

1941 ‘R. West’ Black Lamb & Grey Falcon II. 310 This was an island: parts of it were even now incommunicado.

1952 M. McCarthy Groves of Academe (1953) v. 96 The defendant or victim in such cases as mine ought to be held incommunicado till his well-wishers have concluded their efforts.

1955 Times 4 May 10/6 The Dutch prisoners were arrested at the beginning of 1954 and held incomunicado for a considerable time.

1956 ‘A. Bridge’ Lighthearted Quest 42 Liners' captains, in her experience, kept themselves incommunicado except when on the high seas.

1962 I. Murdoch Unofficial Rose vi. 57 Randall had been practically incommunicado for ten days.

1970 Observer 13 Sept. 4/7 The prisoners will be..detained again under the Terrorism Act by the Special Branch, permitted..to hold any person incommunicado for any length of time.