captive

1 of 2

adjective

cap·​tive ˈkap-tiv How to pronounce captive (audio)
1
a
: taken and held as or as if a prisoner of war
b(1)
: kept within bounds : confined
(2)
: of or relating to captive animals
captive breeding
2
: held under control of another but having the appearance of independence
especially : owned or controlled by another concern and operated for its needs rather than for an open market
a captive mine
3
: being such involuntarily because of a situation that makes free choice or departure difficult
a captive audience

captive

2 of 2

noun

plural captives
1
: one who has been captured : one taken and held usually in confinement
Something there is in us that finds captivity captivating, particularly when the captives are prisoners of war.David Murray
He said that while one of the war-boats was being made ready to take the captives into the lagoon, he and his sister left the camp quietly and got away in their canoe.Joseph Conrad
2
: one captivated, dominated, or controlled
a captive to love
Unlike so many experts pronouncing on that subject today, though, he has never been a captive of a particular ideology or of a well-heeled interest group.Uwe E. Reinhardt
Crescent City residents love their culinary customs—too much, according to some critics, who complain that the city's chefs are captives of the past.Mitch Frank

Examples of captive in a Sentence

Adjective The captive soldiers planned their escape. the captive soldiers were treated humanely by the guards
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The two victims, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker, were brutalized while held captive and handcuffed during a two-hour ordeal that started when the six officers invaded their home and ended with Mr. Jenkins shot in the mouth. Brendan O'Brien and Steve Gorman, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2024 Since its blockbuster debut, the show has published seasons telling the stories of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, a soldier who was held captive by the Taliban and then charged with desertion, and of the ordinary events at a courthouse in Cleveland. Ariel Shapiro, The Verge, 12 Mar. 2024 Additionally, Israel cannot bring an end to the conflict in Gaza as long as Israeli hostages are held captive there. Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024 Its captive dolphin drew global attention after the Flipper television series was filmed there in the 1960s. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Insurance: Any company that spends six figures annually in worker’s comp premiums should consider creating a captive insurance company. Allen Buchanan, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2024 Levine Cava followed up with a letter in late January slamming the Seaquarium for what the U.S. Department of Agriculture said was unacceptable care for captive dolphins and other animals in the for-profit park. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The agencies also have to foster genetically diverse captive pups that survive for at least two years, or successfully release genetically valuable adult wolves. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 The threat to remove bears from zoos that actively collaborate on research and captive breeding only hurts this endangered species. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
At the peak of its power, the group controlled an area the size of Britain, and systematically killed or enslaved members of the Yazidi religious minority, carried out torture and mass killings, and filmed gruesome videos of the executions of its captives, including Westerners. Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Mental anguish frequently spliced with the physical pain of near-constant hunger, with captives forced to self-ration a combination of small Red Cross parcels — containing canned food, powdered milk and other items — and camp meals, formed mostly of stodgy bread and thin broth. Jack Bantock, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 More than 240 Israeli soldiers have also died in the ground assault, and more than 100 hostages remain captives of Hamas and other militant groups. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 As a result of the brutal conditions that captives were subjected to on the ships, 1.8 million died along the way. Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November ceasefire. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 Netanyahu has ‘forgotten’ Hamas’ captives, former hostage says A man with his hands bound urged a Gaza hospital to evacuate. NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 Sawai portrays Toda Mariko, a noblewoman and Christian convert who is called on by Toranaga to serve as an interpreter between him and his new foreign captive. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 According to the report, a ceasefire in Gaza and negotiations for the release of captives are the first, critical steps in launching the international initiative, which might be announced in coming weeks. Forbes International, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'captive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin captivus, from captus, past participle of capere

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of captive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near captive

Cite this Entry

“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/captive. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

captive

1 of 2 adjective
cap·​tive
ˈkap-tiv
1
: taken and held prisoner especially in war
2
: held or confined so as to prevent escape
a captive animal
3
: in a situation that makes free choice or leaving difficult
the airline passengers were a captive audience
captivity
kap-ˈtiv-ət-ē
noun

captive

2 of 2 noun
: one that is captive : prisoner

More from Merriam-Webster on captive

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