Synonyms of prisoner

prisoner

noun

ˈpriz-nər 

as in captive

one that has been taken and held in confinement

the prisoners were fed only bread and water twice a day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• captive
• capture
• internee
• convict
• jailbird
• arrestee
• coprisoner
• abductee
• kidnappee

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• guard
• warden
• guardian
• captor
• jailer
• keeper
• marshal
• custodian
• kidnapper
• abductor

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of prisoner

Prosecutors also accuse Flores of ordering torture and helping oversee a system of repression in which prisoners were subjected to electric shocks, simulated drowning, beatings and threats against their families. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

The Bureau of Prisons has a massive footprint, with prisons from Hawaii to New Hampshire and more than 153,000 prisoners in its custody. — Scott Peyton, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Jack leaves to deliver presents while Sally tries to rescue Santa on her own, becoming Oogie’s prisoner herself. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Oct. 2026

Overcrowding, driven in part by the use of pretrial detention — which keeps thousands of prisoners behind bars without a sentence — combined with insufficient prison staff, has fueled corruption and violence inside prisons, according to analysts. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026