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
Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2025
He and the other soldier were taken captive by Japanese forces, the DPAA said.
—June 4, CBS News, 4 June 2025
Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2025
Before Trump’s visit, the U.S. had secured the release of an American-Israeli captive held by Hamas.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
The discussion came on the heels of a disturbing case where a 32-year-old man was allegedly held captive and abused by his stepmother in a Waterbury residence for 20 years.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2025
He and the other soldier were taken captive by Japanese forces, the DPAA said.
—June 4, CBS News, 4 June 2025
Noun
Yael Alexander talks to her son for first time since his release after nearly 600 days as a Hamas captive.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2025
Before Trump’s visit, the U.S. had secured the release of an American-Israeli captive held by Hamas.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
prisoner
Noun
-
Camp Blanding was used for detention purposes in the past, housing German prisoners during World War II.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 June 2025
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But an intake guard threw that ruling in the trash, handcuffed the prisoner to a chair and shaved him.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captive. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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