prisoner

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

|Updated on: 10 Jun 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

After one of several futile attempts to discuss Scripture with the two rival prisoners, Manly despairs.

— erik spanberg, The Christian Science Monitor, "'Elmore Leonard: Westerns' celebrates Leonard's mastery of the genre," 5 June 2018
His release, along with several other political prisoners in 2015, led to the lifting of most of the European sanctions against Belarus.

— Houston Chronicle, "HomeAid answers call for help with BuildAid Initiative," 3 June 2018
The person would hide the drugs in a body cavity, smuggle the drugs into the jail and deliver it to a dealer who would then sell it to other prisoners, the charges say.

— michelle theriault boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Criminals are trying to get caught so they can smuggle drugs into jail, an Alaska official says," 31 May 2018
The reality star is particularly campaigning for the release of one prisoner: Alice Marie Johnson.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Who is Alice Marie Johnson? Kim Kardashian Visited the White House to Discuss Her Case," 31 May 2018
Across Northern California, campground availability is good, for the most part, with some prisoner-of-hope exceptions.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "High lakes, camp openings crown Memorial Day outlook," 24 May 2018
Animals that escape from zoos or labs are considered to have the extra charm of cleverness; prisoners who can beat the system.

— Longreads, "Wild At Heart," 17 May 2018
Police were inspired to dig after talking to a prisoner, Arthur Ream, who was locked up in 2008 for slaying a 13-year-old girl.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Excavation for remains of up to seven long-missing Michigan girls suspended," 15 May 2018
After completing production, the show added a final scene later in which Jerry does his stand-up for prisoners, a fitting end to his journey.

— marc freeman, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Seinfeld' Finale at 20: Hidden Tales From the Vault of a Comedian's Bizarro World," 13 May 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