: 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
However, limited capacity at residential reentry centers (halfway houses) has resulted in many inmates staying in prison longer than necessary.
—
Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The Orleans Justice Center is only at 60% staffing, and at the time of the escape, four supervisors and 36 staff members were monitoring 1,400 inmates, authorities said.
—Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Three of the 10 inmates who escaped were apprehended in New Orleans within the first 24 hours of the jailbreak.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 27 June 2025
There had been no hair color for the inmates after they were sentenced to 12 years (him) and seven years (her) for tax evasion, conspiracy and wire fraud.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The Orleans Justice Center is only at 60% staffing, and at the time of the escape, four supervisors and 36 staff members were monitoring 1,400 inmates, authorities said.
—Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
Three of the 10 inmates who escaped were apprehended in New Orleans within the first 24 hours of the jailbreak.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 27 June 2025
There had been no hair color for the inmates after they were sentenced to 12 years (him) and seven years (her) for tax evasion, conspiracy and wire fraud.
—Christie D’zurilla, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 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 8 Jul. 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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