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
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Recent Examples of captive
Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Even though trapping itself isn’t painful to the animal, some anti-trappers and hunters are uncomfortable with the idea of an animal being captive, or experiencing fear when the trapper arrives to check the trap.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
The captives have already exited the scene.
—James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
The condor almost disappeared in the 1980s, when biologists trapped the last 22 of them in Southern California and began a captive breeding program.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Even though trapping itself isn’t painful to the animal, some anti-trappers and hunters are uncomfortable with the idea of an animal being captive, or experiencing fear when the trapper arrives to check the trap.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
While all colonial enslavers were anxious about the possibility of poisoning plots in general, other, more local, even personal, concerns existed, such as an enslaver’s fear that one of his captives might try to hasten his death by putting something toxic in his food.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
The captives have already exited the scene.
—James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
Adjective
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The most prevalent problem the officer saw among imprisoned immigrants was psychological.—
Amy Maxmen,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Habeas petitions are, as a rule, the last option for an imprisoned person to void their convictions.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The commission also calls for measures to expand freedom of expression, release older or sick prisoners and ensure that nonviolent acts are not prosecuted under anti‑terror laws.—
Suzan Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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That round led to the first prisoner swap between the countries in five months.—
Mariia Kashchenko,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captive. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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