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 also take-no-prisoners, take no prisoners
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 on the Web
Griner served 10 months before being released as part of a prisoner exchange.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
In turn, Idaho was among several states, as well as the federal government, that passed similar laws in 1978 — the year Berkowitz was sentenced to life in prison — to limit a prisoner’s ability to make money by sharing details about their crimes.
—Kevin Fixler
january 27, Idaho Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
At the memorial site of Auschwitz, located in an area of southern Poland which was under German occupation during World War II, former prisoners laid flowers and wreaths at a wall where German forces executed thousands of prisoners.
—Vanessa Gera, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
The county sheriff followed procedure and contacted ICE when the subject posted bail, but ICE agents were too busy wreaking havoc in the Twin Cities to do their actual job and pick the prisoner up.
—Karen Cortes, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prisoner
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Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
In turn, Idaho was among several states, as well as the federal government, that passed similar laws in 1978 — the year Berkowitz was sentenced to life in prison — to limit a prisoner’s ability to make money by sharing details about their crimes.
—Kevin Fixler
january 27, Idaho Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
At the memorial site of Auschwitz, located in an area of southern Poland which was under German occupation during World War II, former prisoners laid flowers and wreaths at a wall where German forces executed thousands of prisoners.
—Vanessa Gera, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
The county sheriff followed procedure and contacted ICE when the subject posted bail, but ICE agents were too busy wreaking havoc in the Twin Cities to do their actual job and pick the prisoner up.
—Karen Cortes, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prisoner
Cite this Entry
“Prisoner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prisoner. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prisoner
noun
pris·on·er
ˈpriz-nər 
-ᵊn-ər
: a person who has been captured or locked up
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