: 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 jail, which has a regular capacity of 2,400, had an average daily population of 3,195 inmates in September, the most recent month when statistics were available.
—
Adrian Sainz The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Nov. 2025
Dear, 67, died while in federal custody on Saturday, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate records reviewed by PEOPLE.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
In addition, sources told CNN that Maxwell has been given access to an unlimited supply of toilet paper while her fellow inmates only receive two rolls a week and often have to pay for extra to avoid running out.
—Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 25 Nov. 2025
According to court records, Siebert sent several books to inmates at Ohio prisons with pages soaked with drugs in November and December 2024.
—Bethany Bruner, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inmate
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Adrian Sainz The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 26 Nov. 2025
Dear, 67, died while in federal custody on Saturday, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate records reviewed by PEOPLE.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
In addition, sources told CNN that Maxwell has been given access to an unlimited supply of toilet paper while her fellow inmates only receive two rolls a week and often have to pay for extra to avoid running out.
—Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 25 Nov. 2025
According to court records, Siebert sent several books to inmates at Ohio prisons with pages soaked with drugs in November and December 2024.
—Bethany Bruner, USA Today, 25 Nov. 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 1 Dec. 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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