inmate

noun

in·​mate ˈin-ˌmāt 

: 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

He is being held in the Johnson County Department of Corrections Adult Residential Center on a $35,000 bond, according to the jail’s inmate listing. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 4 Dec. 2025

At the time of the abductions, Joly was an inmate in Haiti’s National Penitentiary. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025

Escaped Georgia inmate Timothy Shane is back in custody after a days-long multi-agency manhunt that stretched across Rockdale, Newton, and Henry counties, according to multiple law enforcement agencies. —Christopher Harris, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025

Georgia officials are searching for inmate Timothy Shane, who escaped from an Atlanta hospital on Monday. —Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inmate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids 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)