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
Ashley Soebroto, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
In May, an Italian man was held captive for weeks in a Manhattan townhouse while abductors beat him, shocked him with electric wires and held him over a ledge in order to get his Bitcoin password.
—Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
The São José, a Portuguese vessel bound for Brazil with more than 400 captives from Mozambique, struck a rock and sank in December 1794 off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Adjective
Because ghost wolves have DNA from red wolves — a species once believed to be extinct and now existing only through captive breeding recovery programs — some researchers say preserving the hybrid coyote-wolf and its DNA could help bring back red wolves to their historic range.
—Ashley Soebroto, Houston Chronicle, 4 Apr. 2026
In May, an Italian man was held captive for weeks in a Manhattan townhouse while abductors beat him, shocked him with electric wires and held him over a ledge in order to get his Bitcoin password.
—Megan Cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
The São José, a Portuguese vessel bound for Brazil with more than 400 captives from Mozambique, struck a rock and sank in December 1794 off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
The São José, a Portuguese vessel bound for Brazil with more than 400 captives from Mozambique, struck a rock and sank in December 1794 off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for captive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captive
Adjective
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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
-
In the play’s penultimate scene — one of the most gorgeous, daring and breathless in American theater, and all taking place in an imprisoned Gallimard’s imagination — Song strips for Gallimard, trying to force him to confront the truth.—
Theater Critic,
San Francisco Chronicle,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian Special Air Service and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Macron’s office denied there was any such agreement about a prisoner swap.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 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 12 Apr. 2026.
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