prisoner of war

noun phrase

: a person captured in war

especially : a member of the armed forces of a nation who is taken by the enemy during combat

Examples of prisoner of war in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Related article Russia and Ukraine complete ‘major’ prisoner exchange after mysterious plane crash On Wednesday, Ukraine and Russia exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, in the first swap following the crash of a Russian IL-76 transport aircraft. —Joseph Ataman, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024

The event honors veterans of the Vietnam War, including personnel held as prisoners of war, or listed as missing in action, and their families. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024

The black and yellow flag is reminiscent of America's prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA) flag. —Camilla Schick, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024

Nearly one million Jews and more than 110,000 Roma, Poles, and Soviet prisoners of war were murdered here between 1940 and 1945. —Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024

Four Nepali fighters are currently being held as prisoners of war (POWs) by Ukraine, according to Nepal’s foreign ministry. —Sugam Pokharel, CNN, 11 Feb. 2024

Russia, Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war on Wednesday. —Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 4 Jan. 2024

The longtime McCain backer left the GOP and became an independent when Trump denigrated McCain for spending 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024

One man might describe how he was tortured as a prisoner of war, or another might recall the day his brother was hauled away from their home, never to be seen again. —Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

prisoner of war

: a member of the armed forces of a nation who has been captured by the enemy

Legal Definition

prisoner of war

: a person captured in war

especially : a member of the armed forces of a nation who is taken by the enemy during combat

Note: Under the Third Geneva Convention, a person is a prisoner of war if he or she falls in one of the following categories: 1) a member of the armed forces of a party to the conflict or of a militia or volunteer corps that is part of the armed forces; 2) a member of another militia or volunteer corps who is a lawful combatant; 3) a member of regular armed forces who profess allegiance to a government or authority not recognized by his or her captor; 4) a person who accompanies the armed forces but is not a member of it provided they have proper authority to accompany it; 5) members of the merchant marine and crews of civil aircraft who do not fall under more favorable designations under international law; and 6) inhabitants of territory facing approach of the enemy who spontaneously resist invasion and carry arms openly and respect the laws of war. Prisoners of war are entitled to certain rights (as to humane treatment) under the Convention. Two further categories of people entitled to treatment as prisoners of war are 1) persons belonging or having belonged to the armed forces of an occupied country who were liberated but have been confined especially when they have tried to rejoin the armed forces or have not complied with a summons attempting to confine them; and 2) persons falling under any of the categories of those entitled to treatment as prisoners of war who are received by neutral countries that are required to confine them by international law, with certain exceptions specified in the Convention.