as in imprisoned
taken and held prisoner
the captive soldiers were treated humanely by the guards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in prisoner
one that has been taken and held in confinement
the captives in the concentration camp had devised a daring plan of escape
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captive
Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 22 May 2026
Zambian reserve rewilds captive lions Two lions born in captivity are preparing for life in the wild on the vast Lolelunga Private Reserve in Zambia.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 18 May 2026
Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
Sports franchises everywhere can be tacky, rapacious, incompetent, extortionate, and otherwise exploitative, but only because their customers, the fans, are essentially captives.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
Assis’ features have a captive, niche audience, and some have made it to the mainstream.
—Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 22 May 2026
Zambian reserve rewilds captive lions Two lions born in captivity are preparing for life in the wild on the vast Lolelunga Private Reserve in Zambia.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 18 May 2026
Noun
The captives come to believe there has been a coup, which is confirmed by the executions.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
Sports franchises everywhere can be tacky, rapacious, incompetent, extortionate, and otherwise exploitative, but only because their customers, the fans, are essentially captives.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
Adjective
-
Throughout the series, Creasy is operating under the intel that the FRP, an extremist organization in Brazil, and its imprisoned leader, Ferraz, are behind the bombing of the high-rise.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
Yenisey Taboada’s small apartment in Havana is filled with photos of her imprisoned son, Duannis Tabaoda.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to media reports, after the fall of Assad large numbers of ISIS prisoners in Syria were relocated to stand trial in Iraq, while some of the organization’s foreign detainees were back to their countries of origin.—
Amer Matar,
The Dial,
26 May 2026
-
None of them has the authority under current law to pursue an investigation; that resource is limited to prisoners or legislators.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
On many mornings, shackled migrants plead guilty to military trespass charges rather than remain jailed awaiting trial.—
Agnel Philip,
ProPublica,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captive. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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