: 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
The attorneys highlighted the testimony of George French Jones — a jail inmate to whom Jones allegedly confessed.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Acevedo told Morales-Pena specifically to say that his eye injury came from falling in the shower, the inmate later told investigators.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Initiatives implementing a federal law to support ex-inmates with temporary housing, job training and healthcare lost $40 million in funding, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York Unversity.
—Andrea Hagan, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
When Jeff Reisig first joined the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office in the late 1990s, his office was in the county’s former jail in an area where inmate cells once were located.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 May 2026
Acevedo told Morales-Pena specifically to say that his eye injury came from falling in the shower, the inmate later told investigators.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Initiatives implementing a federal law to support ex-inmates with temporary housing, job training and healthcare lost $40 million in funding, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York Unversity.
—Andrea Hagan, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
When Jeff Reisig first joined the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office in the late 1990s, his office was in the county’s former jail in an area where inmate cells once were located.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 6 May 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 13 May. 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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