prisoner

noun pris·on·er \ ˈpriz-nər , ˈpri-zᵊn-ər \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of prisoner

1 : a person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody; especially : one on trial or in prison

2 : someone restrained as if in prison

a prisoner of her own conscience

See prisoner defined for English-language learners

See prisoner defined for kids

Examples of prisoner in a Sentence

He was captured by rebel forces and kept as their prisoner for several months before they set him free.
The families were held prisoner for four days.

Recent Examples of prisoner from the Web

According to the Prison Policy Imitative, an advocacy group, some prisoners working in industry earn as little as five cents an hour.

— The Economist, "How convict labour increased inequality," 12 Apr. 2018
In one part of the plaza, train tracks that carried prisoners to the Treblinka death camp will be embedded in the pavement.

— new york times, cleveland.com, "More than 40% of Americans don't know what Auschwitz is, survey finds," 12 Apr. 2018
Grau Alsina was not released from prison until 1986 along with other famous political prisoners.

— miamiherald, "Avelina Grau, 93, wife of an Operation Pedro Pan founder, dies in Broward | Miami Herald," 11 Apr. 2018
Kreiss-Tomkins has one of the governor's bills — the one to expand prisoner's access to computers — stuck in his own committee.

— nathaniel herz, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska legislative leaders block crime bills amid fears they could undermine SB 91," 11 Apr. 2018
The inmates — Jonathan Monk, Wisezah Buckman, Mikel Brady and Seth Frazier — all worked in Pasquotank's sewing plant, where prisoners produced embroidered logo items and safety vests.

— gavin off and ames alexander, charlotteobserver, "Investigators find multiple failures at NC prison after deadly escape attempt | Charlotte Observer," 10 Apr. 2018
First-place prisoner After four years of powerful Brazilians falling at the hands of the Car Wash scandal, Lula was convicted of corruption and money laundering last July.

— whitney eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, "In Brazil, support for anti-corruption drive – and the president it convicted," 10 Apr. 2018
After the interview was finished, guards put handcuffs and masks on the prisoners.

— nick paton walsh, CNN, "ISIS fighters known as 'the Beatles' demand fair trial," 9 Apr. 2018
Earlier, Belarus also released political prisoners which led the EU to lift most sanctions in 2016.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "West University Place holding tryouts for the Piranhas Swim Team," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prisoner.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of prisoner

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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prisoner Synonyms

PRISONER Defined for English Language Learners

prisoner

noun

Definition of prisoner for English Language Learners

: a person who is kept in a prison
: a person who has been captured and is being kept somewhere

PRISONER Defined for Kids

prisoner

noun pris·on·er \ ˈpri-zᵊn-ər , ˈpriz-nər \

Definition of prisoner for Students

: a person who has been captured or locked up

Law Dictionary

prisoner

noun pris·on·er

legal Definition of prisoner

: a person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody; especially : one under arrest, awaiting trial, on trial, or serving a prison sentence