: 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 inmate claimed the whole wing overheard the exchange.
—
Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Colorado lawmakers are considering whether to carve a new path out of prison for some inmates who have served at least two decades behind bars.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026
One of Britain's most notorious child killers died Saturday, days after he was attacked by a fellow inmate in the workshop of a maximum-security prison.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
There have also been fewer inmate deaths in Tarrant County than in Dallas and Harris counties, although those county jails have more capacity — 7,552 beds in Dallas County and 10,466 beds in Harris County, the report shows.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Colorado lawmakers are considering whether to carve a new path out of prison for some inmates who have served at least two decades behind bars.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026
One of Britain's most notorious child killers died Saturday, days after he was attacked by a fellow inmate in the workshop of a maximum-security prison.
—CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
There have also been fewer inmate deaths in Tarrant County than in Dallas and Harris counties, although those county jails have more capacity — 7,552 beds in Dallas County and 10,466 beds in Harris County, the report shows.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 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 10 Mar. 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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