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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captive
Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 17 June 2025
Varsity last year settled an $82.5 million antitrust class-action lawsuit brought by a class of cheer customers who alleged the company used monopolistic practices to exploit its captive market.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 18 June 2025
Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Mario Espino, Jacob James Guest, and Joey Lawrence Eugene Young held Gadiel Leger captive, pouring hot sauce on him and demanding a ransom, according to court documents.
—Miami Herald, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
But bats stood out: Some species live the human equivalent of nearly 180 years, yet tumors are almost never seen in wild or captive individuals.
—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 17 June 2025
Varsity last year settled an $82.5 million antitrust class-action lawsuit brought by a class of cheer customers who alleged the company used monopolistic practices to exploit its captive market.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 18 June 2025
Noun
But 19 months after the war in Gaza began, Israel has failed to either defeat Hamas or free all of the captives.
—Aaron Boxerman, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Mario Espino, Jacob James Guest, and Joey Lawrence Eugene Young held Gadiel Leger captive, pouring hot sauce on him and demanding a ransom, according to court documents.
—Miami Herald, 31 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 9 Jul. 2025.
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