variants
or less commonly cell mate
plural cellmates also cell mates
: a person who shares a prison cell with another prisoner
When his cellmates learned that his bond had been set at $1 million (and bail at $500,000), they broke into laughter and shook their heads in disbelief.—
Richard Behar
Richard BeharWithin a week, guards came by at night and told me to get ready. … I said goodbye to my cellmates and gathered my things …—Clare Morgana Gillis
Clare Morgana GillisExamples of cellmate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Prosecutors allege that Craig tried to pay his cellmate and others to cover his tracks, including by offering to pay them to create false testimony and kill Olson, the lead investigator.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 16 July 2025
Colindres' mom said his cellmate was also arrested at the office that day.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Corby has a predictably difficult time with his first cellmate, Pug, until the heart of gold within the hardened criminal is revealed.
—Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
Other lawsuits pending against the county describe people with mental illness being placed in solitary confinement or, conversely, being killed by a cellmate with a history of violence.
—Jeff McDonald, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cellmate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 16 July 2025
Colindres' mom said his cellmate was also arrested at the office that day.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Corby has a predictably difficult time with his first cellmate, Pug, until the heart of gold within the hardened criminal is revealed.
—Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
Other lawsuits pending against the county describe people with mental illness being placed in solitary confinement or, conversely, being killed by a cellmate with a history of violence.
—Jeff McDonald, Mercury News, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cellmate
Cite this Entry
“Cellmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cellmate. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share