Incommunicado is a term used to describe a person who is ISOLATED or IMPRISONED and denied access to outside communication. It is derived from the Spanish phrase 'incommunicado, ' which means 'without communication.' The term is often used to refer to prisoners who are held in solitary confinement, or those who are placed under house arrest. In some cases, it can also refer to people who are placed under surveillance or restricted from leaving their homes.