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
HubSpot, 1 June 2026
The eight ibises were raised at a conservation center on Sado Island in neighboring Niigata Prefecture as part of a captive-breeding program.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 6 May 2026
One of the captives, Amanda Berry, escaped with her daughter and contacted police, who came to free Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.
—USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
Almost all of these ideas involve managing crowds and gaming out a few extra dollars from captive participants.
—HubSpot, 1 June 2026
The eight ibises were raised at a conservation center on Sado Island in neighboring Niigata Prefecture as part of a captive-breeding program.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026
Noun
The story revolves around nine warriors who travel to Tsushima Island to rescue Korean captives kidnapped by Japanese pirates.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 6 May 2026
One of the captives, Amanda Berry, escaped with her daughter and contacted police, who came to free Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.
—USA Today, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
Adjective
-
Fujimori, daughter of a disgraced former president, and Sánchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, were on the runoff’s ballot after beating 33 other candidates in the vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
The modern field of bioethics emerged from the 1947 Nuremberg Doctors’ Trial, where Nazi physicians were prosecuted for conducting brutal medical experiments on imprisoned people.—
Jennifer McCurdy,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The Supreme Court last denied an Alabama prisoner’s request to halt his nitrogen execution in October.—
Abigail Brooks,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
-
Six volunteers certified for no less than three years apiece through Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, will be recruited to ensure the Idaho Department of Correction is ready to comply with a state law that prioritizes shooting prisoners to death over lethal injection starting July 1.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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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 15 Jun. 2026.
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