: 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
An inmate was shot and killed by a corrections officer after a fight occurred at a Tucson hospital where the man was receiving treatment, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said.
—
Julie Mendes, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The complaint asserts that the transfer was a deliberate attempt to disrupt Holt’s legal advocacy on behalf of himself and other inmates.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an inmate at the Jackson County Detention Center.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Victoria Goodwin was sentenced to prison in May for arranging the plot with a Florida inmate.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Julie Mendes, AZCentral.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The complaint asserts that the transfer was a deliberate attempt to disrupt Holt’s legal advocacy on behalf of himself and other inmates.
—Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an inmate at the Jackson County Detention Center.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Victoria Goodwin was sentenced to prison in May for arranging the plot with a Florida inmate.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 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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