1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

inmate

noun

Definition of inmatenext
as in prisoner
a person who is kept in a prison the reintegration of former inmates into society

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inmate Halfway houses, also known as residential reentry centers, offer a supervised environment for inmates nearing release and services including career counseling and financial management assistance, according to the bureau. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026 He was booked into the Saline County jail and released Tuesday afternoon on a $70,000 bond, according to the jail's online inmate roster. — Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026 Seck remains listed on the Grayson County, Kentucky, Detention Center’s online inmate roster. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 Polk County has the first county jail in Iowa joining a nationwide education and life skills rehabilitation program for inmates with the goal of reducing recidivism and helping the community. — Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inmate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inmate
prisoner
Noun
  • Several prisoners’ rights groups then asked to join his legal fight and expand it.
    — Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Oman has long played a quiet role in US-Iran diplomacy, while Qatar has facilitated backchannel negotiations and prisoner exchanges.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of prisoner

Browse Nearby Words

in lieu
inmate
inmates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inmate. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All