prisoner

Definition of prisonernext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 prisoner Six Hawaiian prisoners were indicted last year in the May 2024 homicide of another prisoner, with five of the men being charged with first-degree murder, the news outlet reported. Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026 The summit coincided with a wave of civilian and military prisoner releases in Caracas, developments that opposition figures privately described as an important source of leverage in shaping negotiations with the interim government. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026 Kenneth Law, dressed in a dark blazer and white shirt, stood in the prisoner’s box of a court in Newmarket, Ontario, to enter his guilty pleas. Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026 None of them has the authority under current law to pursue an investigation; that resource is limited to prisoners or legislators. Paula Wethington, CBS News, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for prisoner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prisoner
Noun
  • From France’s port cities, dozens of ships sailed for Africa every year, where merchants purchased human captives to be sold in the colonies.
    Jeremy D. Popkin, The Conversation, 28 May 2026
  • When the male guards flee, the captives emerge into a barren plain, and the girl, the last to survive, writes about her life.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • The first is relational capture rather than component-level snapshot.
    Pranay Ahlawat, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • Yet Israel’s capture of the fort, observers say, is more a public relations victory than a military one.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prisoner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prisoner. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on prisoner

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