: 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 lawsuit accuses the Sheriff’s Department of negligence, failing to conduct adequate safety checks and failing to appropriately supervise inmates.
—
City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Zombie received 20 years in prison for the killing and 15 more years for a first-degree assault after a violent attack on a fellow inmate.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Through extensive investigation, including surveillance footage and court records, the report highlights severe mistreatment of inmates, which led to significant reforms in practices across Missouri and Kansas in a true example of impactful journalism.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Alexander Mateuz, 42, the inmate at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, entered his guilty plea last Thursday for the attack that killed his cellmate 23-year-old Robert Aranda, Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe announced in a news release.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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City News Service, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Zombie received 20 years in prison for the killing and 15 more years for a first-degree assault after a violent attack on a fellow inmate.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Through extensive investigation, including surveillance footage and court records, the report highlights severe mistreatment of inmates, which led to significant reforms in practices across Missouri and Kansas in a true example of impactful journalism.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
Alexander Mateuz, 42, the inmate at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, entered his guilty plea last Thursday for the attack that killed his cellmate 23-year-old Robert Aranda, Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe announced in a news release.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inmate
Cite this Entry
“Inmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inmate. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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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