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

The law, originally passed in 1995, allows the state to calculate the daily cost of incarceration then take that money from current or former inmates who receive inheritances, lottery winnings or certain lawsuit settlements. — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

First, inmates are supposed to have two intravenous lines placed. — Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

One inmate at the federal facility showed NBC News an Instagram account that Combs allegedly had been using to communicate with contacts outside the prison. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Lee similarly paused executions in 2022 for a review, and earlier this year the state failed to carry out a lethal injection on a death row inmate after struggling to find a vein. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

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)