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
Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
For too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster held fans captive.
—Letitia James, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Immediately upon regaining control of the lowlands of São Tomé, the Portuguese dedicated scarce manpower and equipment to the resumption of sugar cultivation, the repair of the mills, and the terrorizing of new shipments of captives.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
Smart was held captive by the pair for nine months, moving between campsites in the Utah foothills and later to California while being raped daily by Mitchell.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
For too long, Live Nation and Ticketmaster held fans captive.
—Letitia James, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
Alejandra, a Spanish-language radio DJ who had for years posted community events, news, and real-time weather alerts on her Facebook page, Explosion Latina NOLA, was now helping relatives of ICE’s captives navigate its detainee database.
—Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Immediately upon regaining control of the lowlands of São Tomé, the Portuguese dedicated scarce manpower and equipment to the resumption of sugar cultivation, the repair of the mills, and the terrorizing of new shipments of captives.
—Literary Hub, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
Adjective
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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
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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
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The story centers on a unit of nine soldiers – drawn from across the military hierarchy – dispatched to Tsushima Island to bring home Koreans taken prisoner by Japanese pirate groups.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 May 2026
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The poor conditions were also the backdrop for a push in 1980 by the New Progressive Party governor at the time, Carlos Romero Barceló, to codify voting rights for prisoners.—
Raquel Rutledge,
ProPublica,
5 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 11 May. 2026.
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