: 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
Stabbings became routine, and in the early 1970s, inmates sued the state over conditions, prompting a federal court to order sweeping reforms.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Aguilar is one of 72 juvenile inmates housed in an MCSO facility, according to Dave Moyer, an agency spokesperson.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Waukesha County Jail holds certain inmates overnight for ICE as part of an agreement with the agency.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The last act of The Stranger follows the young man through his imprisonment, trial and the weeks leading up to his execution, including a long and somewhat overwrought conversation with a priest (Swann Arlaud) hoping to read the inmate his last rites.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Aguilar is one of 72 juvenile inmates housed in an MCSO facility, according to Dave Moyer, an agency spokesperson.
—Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Waukesha County Jail holds certain inmates overnight for ICE as part of an agreement with the agency.
—Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The last act of The Stranger follows the young man through his imprisonment, trial and the weeks leading up to his execution, including a long and somewhat overwrought conversation with a priest (Swann Arlaud) hoping to read the inmate his last rites.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 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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