: any of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a prison or hospital)
Examples of inmate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The searches of female inmates entering the county jail are done by female deputies and recorded on their body cameras to ensure the new inmates are not hiding contraband like drugs on their bodies.
—
Colleen Slevin, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
Most inmates from Stillwater have been transferred to Oak Park Heights — the closest facility — with 84 moved there.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2025
For the second time in just over three months, an inmate has escaped custody at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed more than two dozen lawsuits on behalf of inmates of the prison who allege they were confined to dark cells and only let out for brief periods a few times per week.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Colleen Slevin, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
Most inmates from Stillwater have been transferred to Oak Park Heights — the closest facility — with 84 moved there.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2025
For the second time in just over three months, an inmate has escaped custody at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana has filed more than two dozen lawsuits on behalf of inmates of the prison who allege they were confined to dark cells and only let out for brief periods a few times per week.
—Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inmate
Cite this Entry
“Inmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inmate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt 
: a member of a group living in a single residence
especially
: a person kept in an institution (as a hospital or prison)
Medical Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: one of a group occupying a single place of residence
especially
: a person confined (as in a psychiatric hospital) especially for a long time
Legal Definition
inmate
noun
in·mate
ˈin-ˌmāt
: a person confined in an institution (as a prison or hospital)
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