prisoner

noun
UK: /ˈprɪzənər/
US: /ˈprɪzənər/

  1. A person who is kept in prison as a punishment for a crime.

    1. The prisoner sat alone. [ ] [ ]
    2. The prisoner was released after serving his sentence. [ ] [ ]

  2. Someone captured and kept as a hostage, especially during a war.

    1. He was held prisoner for two years. [ ] [ ]
    2. The army took many prisoners during the battle yesterday. [ ] [ ]

  3. A person confined or constrained in some way, not free to leave or act.

    1. She felt like a prisoner in her own home. [ ] [ ]
    2. He became a prisoner of his own ambition and ultimately failed. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

captive detainee inmate pow
prisoner transitive-verb

  1. To hold someone captive or restrain them against their will.

    1. Guards prisoner enemies. [ ] [ ]
    2. The castle prisoner any attackers during the war. [ ] [ ]
prisoner adjective

  1. Kept in confinement; captive.

    1. The prisoner bird was caged. [ ] [ ]
    2. The prisoner thoughts kept her awake at night. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "prisoner" in English means: A person who is kept in prison as a punishment for a crime., Someone captured and kept as a hostage, especially during a war., A person confined or constrained in some way, not free to leave or act..

The phonetic transcription of "prisoner" is /ˈprɪzənər/ in British English and /ˈprɪzənər/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "prisoner": captive, detainee, inmate, pow.

Example usage of "prisoner": "The prisoner sat alone.". More examples on the page.