: 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
Zarate is being held at Santa Ana’s Intake Release Center, according to inmate records; the location of the other five suspects was not available.
—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Some of the individuals charged in the indictment unsealed Wednesday were inmates at prisons around the country and used cellphones to schedule drops at various prisons.
—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
This year’s report on jail releases is following up on a 2017-18 grand jury report that criticized the Sheriff’s Office’s frequency of middle-of-the-night releases of inmates from the jail.
—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2026
But as the inmate and his fellow prisoners journey into the wilderness, the real threat isn’t the trek, but the betrayal and violence festering within their ranks.
—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Some of the individuals charged in the indictment unsealed Wednesday were inmates at prisons around the country and used cellphones to schedule drops at various prisons.
—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
This year’s report on jail releases is following up on a 2017-18 grand jury report that criticized the Sheriff’s Office’s frequency of middle-of-the-night releases of inmates from the jail.
—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2026
But as the inmate and his fellow prisoners journey into the wilderness, the real threat isn’t the trek, but the betrayal and violence festering within their ranks.
—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
25 June 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 26 Jun. 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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