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
Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2025
Tina was held captive in a private zoo prior to being placed in the LA Zoo.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025
Investigators also found a body wrapped in plastic and freed two captives.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
The 32-year-old man recently freed from a Waterbury home was reportedly found malnourished after being withdrawn from school at age 11 and then reportedly held captive for decades.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 13 May 2025
Tina was held captive in a private zoo prior to being placed in the LA Zoo.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Noun
In tandem with the outgoing Biden administration, Trump officials worked to secure a three-phase ceasefire/hostage-release that saw the release of 33 captives that had been detained since the Oct. 7 attacks, including two Americans.
—Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025
Investigators also found a body wrapped in plastic and freed two captives.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
prisoner
Noun
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In 2021, the state passed a law allowing prisoners to choose the firing squad as a method of execution, in addition to the electric chair and lethal injection.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
8 May 2025
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New Faces During the show’s original run, the story told of a brave stranger who embarks on a mission to rescue Princess Aani, a prisoner of the Dark Queen.—
Spencer Whaley,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captive. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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